Earlier this year, when Shigeto announced that he would be working with jazz veteran Dave Douglas on a future project and Detroit rapper ZelooperZ on another, it looked as if the Ann Arbor, MI producer was moving towards new musical territories. However, Intermission isn't making it easy to predict which direction. Given its stopgap-signifying title, this six-song EP is either a dump off of leftover tracks or a sign that Shigeto is only slightly massaging his current sound.
Although tracks like the minor key, polyrhythmic skipper "City Dweller" and the chopped-and-screwed floater "Do My Thing" build on jazz and hip-hop influences respectively, much of Intermission confirms Shigeto's allegiance to folktronica, demonstrated on the breath-sampling "Pulse" and the foggy and layered "Deep Breathing." Although there are no real revelations on Intermission, Shigeto demonstrates yet again what he does best. Where he goes from here, though, is anyone's call.
(Ghostly International)Although tracks like the minor key, polyrhythmic skipper "City Dweller" and the chopped-and-screwed floater "Do My Thing" build on jazz and hip-hop influences respectively, much of Intermission confirms Shigeto's allegiance to folktronica, demonstrated on the breath-sampling "Pulse" and the foggy and layered "Deep Breathing." Although there are no real revelations on Intermission, Shigeto demonstrates yet again what he does best. Where he goes from here, though, is anyone's call.