Korgy & Bass: Photo by Reed RickerWith the release of the two-track EP Vol. I last June, we introduced you to the jazz-schooled, hip-hop-sampled minds of drummer Barra Brown and bassist Alex Meltzer—aka Korgy & Bass. Almost a year down the road, we’ve gotten to know the pair more and more as they’ve shown their collaborative colors by bringing more players into the mix like Coco Columbia, Two Planets, Catherine Feeny and Rasheed Jamal.
The pair also collaborated with Vortex when they gave us their unreleased single “Bitter Horizon” for our recent vinyl comp, Our City, Our Sounds. Yet another jazzy, hip-hop gem, the cut features support from emcee Dusty Fox of Two Planets and the delicate, angelic vocals of folk singer-songwriter Catherine Feeny—and it’s one of four cuts from the duo’s second release, EP Vol. II, out later this year via Cavity Search Records.
“This song started as a drum groove that I recorded at my home studio while laying down drums for our first EP,” Brown describes. “I sent it to Alex who layered on the samples that you hear on the track.”
But it wasn’t done. “We decided this track would be great with vocals,” Brown continues. “Because of the distinct sections, we wanted to have an emcee for the verses and have a female vocalist for the hooks. I've collaborated with Catherine a lot in the last few years and wanted to have her jump in. I sent her the chorus section of the songs, she sent over a voice memo of her singing over the chorus, and we used her lyrics/content as a jumping off point for the concept of Dusty's lyrics. It went track, chorus vocals, and then Dusty wrote his verses based off of Catherine's lyrics. We recorded Catherine at my place, and Dusty in his home studio.”
The guys mixed it a few times on their own and then “ended up working with Patrick Champagne at The Hallowed Halls for the final mix,” and ultimately, “it was mastered by Adam Gonsalves at Telegraph Mastering.”
Read more about Rasheed Jamal in the cover story from VRTX 10: Photo by Sam GehrkeAfter working with Korgy & Bass on the aforementioned vinyl project, it was clear that they’re always down for a collab. So I introduced them to hip-hop artist Rasheed Jamal (who also appears on the vinyl comp) because they are both incredibly talented and make smart music that’ll get stuck in your ear.
“Want to share the Skype Live Studio stage and we’ll live stream the whole thing?” I asked—didn’t even need to tell them that there’d be beer on the house at the happy hour sesh to clinch the deal.
CLICK HERE to RSVP to the free, all-ages collab sesh on May 15 via Skype Live StudioAlongside KINK and The Thesis, we are proud to present a special collaborative set—the first time ever!—where each act will play his own set as well as aligning for a live collaboration on Monday, May 15. Free and all ages, RSVP via skypelivestudio.com (where you’ll also be able to live stream the sets).
And if that wasn’t enough for Brown and Meltzer, Korgy & Bass will celebrate the release of "Bitter Horizon" at Bunk Bar on Thursday, May 18 with Sama Dams. In yet another collaborative effort, Brown and Sama Dams frontman Sam Adams have recently worked on a half-finished, unnamed record together (which also features Patti King of Radiation City and The Shins).
While Korgy & Bass and Cavity Search Records nail down the release date of EP Vol. II, the EP “is also a jumping off point for another album we will begin working on in which all the tracks will feature guests vocalists and instrumentalists,” Brown explains. “We've got a good-sized list of people we'd like to collaborate with.”
Not surprised in the least.
