Get your funky shoes out; Gramatik is coming to town. The Slovenian native who ascended through the ranks of the hip-hop/glitch scene as a part of the Pretty Lights Music family is more on top of his game than ever these days. As a recent founder of his own label, Lowtemp records, and as a staple act in the festival circuit over the last year, Gramatik (real name Denis Jasarevic) made a name for himself with his incredible work ethic. He’s put out three volumes of soulful hip hop instrumentals (Street Bangerz vol.1-3) as well as several other singles and LPs between 2008 and 2010. In addition, Gramatik catches a broad array of followers due to his fluid ability to adapt to many styles, most notably on display on his dubstep-oriented album #digitalfreedom released in 2012, but also with his incorporation of live musicians to his sets. Oh yea and did I mention he gives nearly all his music away as free downloads?
His collaborations with young gun GRiZ, creating Grizmatik, has yielded some seriously heavy results (check out their tracks “DLIMF” and “My People”) that show a good blend of both of their love of soul and funk beats mixed with heavy-hitting glitch and dubstep drops.
Another widely talked about collab between Gramatik, GRiZ, and Big Gigantic (Big GRiZmatik) took Electric Forest by storm this year with an electronic orchestra of two saxophones, electric guitars, live drumkits, MPCs, synthesizers and more. Recently, Gramatik has begun a live electronic band endeavor calling themselves Exmag, who made their debut with a dope ‘No Diggity’ cover/mashup under Lowtemp Records.
The group was also featured with Cherub on the single ‘Obviously’ from Gramatik’s latest EP Age of Reason.
The recent sound coming from the Gramatik beat laboratory is a synthesis of his last five years of work: a funky hip-hop heavy blend of bluesy live guitar riffs, soulful vocalists, and electronic screeches, whirls, and womps. I believe that Denis has truly found his sound as of late by combining newer elements of heavy dubstep and glitch with his trademark groove of blues guitar and soul. This coming weekend will see him unleash this funky bluestep fury on the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco with the help of openers Exmag and serious up and comer heRobust, who has been smashing the trill dubstep fans to bits recently.
November 9th, be there. And check out the other dates on the tour below:
