“From the lyrics to the head-nodding beat to the catchy chorus ‘We See You’ makes me want to listen to more Crab Costume” Kerem Gokmen, Dubmission, Radio Pittsburgh USA
Crab Costume EP is the latest release from Crab Costume, a transatlantic collaboration between British born, New York based producer Mars Kestrel and Oxford, UK based vocalist Asher Dust who originally collaborated together when they were both in legendary Oxford hip-hop crew Big Speakers, before Mars moved to New York in 2009. The EP is released on 11th October 2024 and features recent singles Dream Idea and A Little Woeful alongside EP closer Me Time.
The three tracks that make up the self-titled EP carry Crab Costume's signature blend of intertwining acoustic and electric guitar riffs with electronic beats and Asher's laconic, idiosyncratic vocal. Opener A Little Woeful sees Asher’s partly spoken word vocal add a poetic flavour to the verses whilst the chorus is led by his falsetto refrain. When asked about the lyrical narrative Asher explains, "it's a self-reflective stream of consciousness, lamenting on disenchantment with both my personal failings and the state of the world in general". When asked about Dream Idea, Mars says, "what I love about the track is the heavy beat and the depth of feeling in AJ's vocals and lyrics, lines such as "leave me alone to shatter" cut really deep". The EP closes with the sparse and soulful Me Time, a calming, chillout ending to a deeply emotional and deeply musical journey. Occupying a fascinating cross-over point between R&B, Hip-Hop and Spoken Word Crab Costume exist in a musical universe all of their own but they also have a kindred spirit with fellow mavericks such as Erykah Badu, Gorillaz, Ezra Collective, Yard Act and Shabazz Palaces.
The debut Crab Costume releases garnered the duo plaudits from the blogosphere and airplay across the UK and the US and, with plenty more releases in the pipeline, it's time for people to take note of this exciting new project on both sides of the pond and far beyond!
crab-costume.com
released October 11, 2024