L.A. beat scene monolith TOKiMONSTA has never shied away from reinvention, steadily snowballing upwards towards the flighty peaks of freaked out house-hop where she currently holds court. She has recently announced a long-awaited, Covid-delayed tour of the US and Canada this September, October and November and this is celebrated on her latest single “Naked”. The single has an irresistible assist from the louche drawl of Channel Tres, who gives the track a living, breathing, smoking centre, as is fast becoming his signature move. The collaboration, released on TOKiMONSTA’s Young Art Records, sounds organic like Burbank Farmers’ Market and will hopefully bear produce as regularly. A complete collaborative album would be the next logical step between two logic-defying artists at their confounding best, although this may epitomise cool a little too comprehensively.
The song is a dreamy soul soundscape wrapped around a twisting narrative and buffed out by a generous application of classic funk. The scratchy L.A. sound is ever-present beneath the shiny veneers, giving just the right undercurrent of sun-baked avant garde. Sepia-toned disco is given a run through a dusty crate of beats, before being presented on a platter to Channel Tres, who promptly stuffs it in his Jansport before embarking on some escapades.
“Mood like Fela mixed with Prince
Don't question my intelligence
Compton n****, get a glimpse
The energy reflect the pimp”
This smooth little nu-disco number perfectly melds the sum of its influences into a heady brew, casually discarding the limitations of genre and surrendering to the almighty allure of the vibe. Vibe is actually a quantifiable factor in the parts which make up a great song and can often be used to bolster a substandard product. This is not the case here, where it acts merely as a flavour enhancer. “Naked” sums up the feeling of knowing that you would feel good if the drugs hadn’t made you numb, a hard-boiled trip through the sun-drenched recesses which demands further explorations. While this track has not been confirmed to be part of any larger project, a feverish reception and extended airplay from the scene’s movers and shakers should make this a mere formality. You know what to do.
