Flume & Reo Cragun - 'Quits' [EP Review]

Two seconds into the title track of ‘Quits,’ and it doesn’t take long for the song to pop off – “fuck that shit / fuck that shit” erupts at 00:13 before you even have time to turn down your speaker (sorry @ my neighbors). This latest collab from Flume and Reo Cragun left me with the initial reaction of damn, this slaps – but also, who hurt these guys?

Simply put, Reo Cragun is pissed-off and Flume is the best friend in the back hyping him up with the musical equivalent of a “Yes, go OFF, sis.” Someone once described Flume to me as “high school make out music,” but it’s safe to say we’ve since graduated, had our hearts broken, and have a lot to say about life in the real world. Fiery and frustrated, ‘Quits’ is the take no shit EP that wraps up all that emotion about getting screwed over and turns it into something much more productive.

And from an emotional perspective, this EP flows really well – ‘Quits’ is the initial angry, tear-filled rage where your feelings bubble to the surface, followed by the relief of ‘Levitate’ once you start to process everything. ‘Friends’ is the reassurance you find in looking at someone you once cared for and knowing that relationship no longer serves you. Each song is abrasive in its own way, capturing what really happens when you hit your breaking point and let all those bad vibes go.

Flume’s music can be…overwhelming, to say the least, and as someone with no production experience, I often just hear lots of random noise. But there’s something about this EP where his punchy and powerful sounds make sense. This record was made by two real life friends who put out art that was shameless – and sometimes, playing a flute-synth thing or smashing the keyboard is all you need for those restless thoughts you just can’t put into words.

As Reo Cragun put it: “do no talking / do not call me / holla.” I’ll be putting my phone on do not disturb while listening to ‘Friends’ and blocking out all the negativity ☮️