Rafter

Sweaty Magic

Asthmatic Kitty/Sonic Unyon

Phil Villeneuve (CHARTattack)

09/11/2008 11:48am

There's a song on this quickie EP called "Salt" on which Rafter sings "you belong in my world with me" over the peculiar combo of Prince funk guitar, indie handclaps, street jazz saxophone freestyling and a robotic drone. By the end of this seven-song collection there's no place on earth you'd rather be. Though Rafter's heightened dance music sense can often lead him into "really annoying" territory, he manages to keep things hip and happening.

Sweaty Magic is a hurricane of funk, electronic, hip-hop, pop, punk, noise and experimental soul, all zooming by at speeds you only dream of while falling off buildings in your sleep (don't you hate it when you have those?). This is the shit Beck should have been making after Sea Change. These are the noises Hot Chip should be tweaking. All hail the new prince of weird.