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You may know Lasse Lokoy as the bassist of Norwegian party-punks Sløtface, but he wants you to know that there’s much more to him than politics and pogo-ing. On his eclectic debut, the young Lokoy flexes his muscles as a producer and songwriter trading in his own world of colourful and futuristic art-pop.
READ MORE: Meet Lokoy – the Sløtface bassist who’s going solo with Gorillaz-y pop bangers
Opener ‘Classic City Girl’ is a joyously oddball electro bop, lampooning the shallow and spoiled social media elite as the chorus chimes: “Extroverted kid, you think only of yourself”. The romantic gem of ‘I Never Missed You Like I Do Now’ confidently breezes along at the more warm and subtle end of Grimes’ cyberpop spectrum, while ‘Limbo’ boasts a laidback Balearic vibe worthy of its name.
Fans of Lauv will find something in ‘Glitter’, mixing synth-pop with slick R&B and some sage advice to make the most of every moment. It’s a sentimental heart that beats throughout ‘Badminton’, whether on the spacey and bittersweet ‘Ghost Town’ (“You don’t really care how these mountains always make you feel small”) or the orchestral title track – an ode to heartfelt moments with his father (“The closest I can get to him is when we’re playing badminton”).
Having previously collaborated with the likes of Girl In Red and DePresno, Lokoy again invites some of the coolest rising Nordse talent on board to match his wide-ranging styles and moods. ‘Both Eyes’ featuring cheeky rapper Safario is a Gorillaz meets Beastie Boys hyper-hip-hop romp, while singer-songwriter Emilie Østebo lifts ‘A Mistake’ to sound as if Clairo is being backed up by The Strokes. Moyka’s silky vocals perfectly match the ‘90s house jam of ‘Murder In My Mind’, Sofus assists in making ‘Morning Sun’ feel like Tyler or Chance at their most playful, and DFA signee Nils Bech adds a whole lot of heart to ‘Relay’.
‘Badminton’ is a bold statement from an artist with a very sophisticated pop palette and streetwise worldview; it seems he can do what he likes and get away with it.
Details
Release date: January 22
Record label: Propeller Recordings
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