This week brings with it
perhaps the most anticipated collaboration of the year. Electronic Rock duo
Phantogram has teamed up with Outkast's Big Boi to make a seven song EP,
entitled "Fell in the Sun.” Under the name Big Grams, both parties have been
leaking snippets of information over social media regarding the project since
late last year.
The group has collaborated with
Big Boi on his most recent LP, "Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors" as
well as on Outkast's "Auqemini". In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Phantogram frontwoman Sarah Barthel discussed
the direction the project has taken, saying, "It's kind of a taste of
ideas. It's not Big Boi and Phantogram music. It's Big Grams, which is
different. It's a whole different project. It's stuff that we wouldn't put on
our own records, but just kind of something completely different so you get a
taste of. There's songs that I rap on, there's songs that Big sings on. There's
songs that Josh raps on. It doesn't sound pretentious in any way, because we
just wanted to do whatever the fuck we wanted to do."
Barthel and her counterpart
Josh Carter's voices are hard to imagine in a rap setting based on their
current work. Even in spite of this, Big Grams has set forth with just as much
seriousness, ambition and creative energy as either of their separate projects.
Recent posts on social media are hinting that the seven tracks on "Fell In
the Sun" each represent one of the seven deadly sins, and artwork
representing each sin was done by American artist Kii Arens, whose other
projects are visible here.The EP is
also set to feature electronic producer Skrillex, as well as the critically
acclaimed rap duo Run The Jewels.
"Fell In the Sun EP"
is available everywhere today.
-Adam Kinyicky
