Since the release of his album megacity1000, songwriter/producer/DJ 1tbsp has been travelling the world playing tracks for massive audiences and diving into a plethora of new sounds. Now, all that travel and 1tbsp’s knack for experimentation and high-concept storytelling has come together on his new EP ‘Hotel Living’, which has just dropped.
With high-energy melodies and three collaborative tracks with Cherry Chola, who lent her vocals to ‘Limosina’ which has now become one of 1tbsp’s most popular tracks, Hotel Living does feel like an extension of megacity1000, but instead of feeling insulated in just one city and soundscape, Hotel Living brings together Latin rhythms and fresh house accents, to then blend them with cooling electronica and create a collection of tracks that sonically expand past every kind of border.
If you’re not too sure what I’m talking about, then I recommend listening to ‘rush (missing out on me)’, the first track on the new EP. This track shares a very similar vibe to ‘Limosina’ and features vocals from Australian/Venezuelan artist Cherry Chola, however Naarm-based producer Purient worked with 1tbsp to craft the melody, injecting her ethereal flavours into the creation. The beat on ‘rush (missing out on me)’ is quite relaxed as it slaps alongside textured samples and a deep bass line that subtly grounds the samples. Bright synths fade in and out like welcoming lights within a darker landscape, adding a sense of whimsy to the track, and Cherry Chola’s vocals bounce so effortlessly with the melody that it doesn’t feel like either of them are taking charge and instead, they’re working together to create movement within the track and propel it forward as a unit. In a way, ‘rush (missing out on me)’ is a great example of how to do collaboration well because not only do 1tbsp, Cherry Chola, and Purient all sprinkle their own unique sound into the track, but the track itself feels like a harmonious collaboration between the synths, samples, beat, and vocals as well.
Speaking of collaboration, the second track on Hotel Living, ‘Wet Peak Stars’, features the vocal stylings of Mexican artist Meth Math, and while it has a similar pace to ‘rush (missing out on me)’, there’s a bit of juxtaposition there that creates a really lovely listening experience. ‘Wet Peak Stars’ has a harder beat than its predecessor and it really stomps through the melody alongside chopped vocal samples, before Meth Math’s airy vocals enter the mix. The vocals lift up the beat and it’s that blend of light and harshness that continues throughout the track and makes it so intriguing. Coarse synths return with buzzing samples and thick atmospherics, developing so many amazing textures that create new accent sounds with every listen. ‘Wet Peak Stars’ is quite a magical track with a grittiness too it that brings it down to Earth, but not so far down that it feels too controlled. It’s kind of punk in a way and reminds you of a night out in a brand-new city where you’re hopeful, but also well aware of the harsher surroundings.
Now, because ‘Wet Peak Stars’ feels like a hopeful night out, then ‘Dolly Destructiva’, the second track on Hotel Living to feature Cherry Chola, is the track you heard whilst dancing in a dark club that you’ve quickly become obsessed with. Cooling synths open the track with a soft echo and Cherry Chola’s vocals hovering over them like a smoky haze. Sharp percussion slices through the synths before a pulsating beat enters the mix with buzzing synths and subtle digitised samples that twinkle throughout the melody. ‘Dolly Destructiva’ feels spacious and airy, despite having a few gritty synths like ‘Wet Peak Stars’. There are still some lovely textures, but this soundscape is both refreshing and slightly haunting, creating the perfect club vibe to completely immerse yourself in.
While ‘Dolly Destructiva’ felt airy, the next track on Hotel Living, ‘It Hurts So Bad’, takes that feeling and turns it up a notch to create a melody that doesn’t just feel spacious, it feels absolutely cosmic. ‘It Hurts So Bad’ was created alongside DJ ADHD and utilises shooting samples, pulsating synths, sharp high hats, and swirling atmospherics to create a soundscape that feels absolutely transcendent. The vocals slowly walk forward alongside the bouncing beat as the melody rises, falls, and then warps its way around your ears immersing you in a space where you don’t really know which way is up or down, but you don’t really care either. ‘It Hurts So Bad’ feels like somewhere you can escape to, somewhere you can get lost for a while without having to anchor yourself to anything or anyone. It’s a gorgeous track and one you’ll want to replay again and again.
Then, on the other end of the spectrum, we have ‘Isso’ that is incredibly grounding. Produced alongside Brazilian artist MC Pânico, ‘Isso’ has a hard beat and features a series of glitchy samples that pop alongside the beat, crunching synths, and pulsating atmospherics that inject a lot of warmth into the melody. There’s a lot of intricate elements on ‘Isso’ that all seem to frame the vocal track like thoughts buzzing around in your head. The track also has a lot of movement and has so many different elements, but it never feels too busy or overwhelming. Everything is balanced perfectly and while ‘Isso’ is probably one of the most high-energy tracks on the EP and has an underlying sense of urgency, it still doesn’t feel like too much. It simply emulates a feeling of restlessness and allows you to observe it.
Closing out the EP we have ‘Rosas Y Besitos’, the third and final track that features the intoxicating vocals of Cherry Chola. This track is really smooth, with light percussion dancing above rolling synths, a bouncing beat, and scattered samples that buzz softly within the melody like little insects. The pace slows right down mid-way through the track, allowing Cherry Chola’s vocals to melt over the heavy beat and pulsating synths before the pace picks up again and propels us through the rich melody like an agile vespa weaving its way through traffic. ‘Rosas Y Besitos’ is vibrant and there’s also an effortlessness to it that really makes it feel quite relaxing. It’s really fun and yet another amazing collaboration between 1tbsp and Cherry Chola.
Hotel Living is an incredibly fun EP that, yes, shares some elements with megacity1000, but it also has a vibrant life of its own, developed by 1tbsp’s ear for intricate production and love of collaboration. Hotel Living embodies the feeling of exploring the world and navigating your way through the grittier areas of life, whilst still retaining some sense of creativity and wonder. By blending fresh influences with signature samples and high-energy rhythms, 1tbsp has developed an EP that’s able to perfectly soundtrack every experience.