Louis Futon, also known as Tyler Mindford, is an electronic music producer from Philadelphia. His self-titled EP that came out two weeks ago will send chills down your spine. The music Futon makes is much more than your average four-on-the-floor electronic dance music.
Artists like Louis – and there are a lot sprouting up now – are pushing the boundaries of the commercial EDM scene that has become formulaic and dull. Even if you don’t like electronic music, this EP will still make you feel things. The EP covers a wide variety of influences and styles including jazz and R&B. It’s definitely worth checking out because it has so many influences across the board that relate to all different types of musical tastes.
The first song is definitely titled correctly. “Take Off” gives you a taste of what the EP has to offer in that it exhibits so many of Louis’ influences packaged into one song. It’s bouncy, has jazzy chords, and uses electronic elements to make it so. It will make you feel like you’ve left your feet and are on your way to dancing on the moon, hence the title “Take Off.”
After “Take Off,” you are launched into a silky smooth world. The next two tracks, “Silk” and “Sir Rock”, make use of chords that hit you right in feels. Louis uses layers of lush, silky smooth synths to give the laidback vibe, but the beat placed underneath those chords really gets you going. The 808s, well placed snares, and hi-hats complete the modern spin on the R&B, jazzy feel of the EP. The last song, “DRNUK,” draws on hip-hop influences. It maintains the jazzy chords and lush synths, but the beat has an inescapable hip-hop feel to it.
The EP as a whole is a good demonstration of where the underground electronic scene is headed. A lot of artists are making music that is influenced by R&B and jazz and putting their own modern twist on it. In the case of Louis’ EP, he uses jazzy chord progressions and 808s to convey his ideas of what he sees in the world, and the direction he wants electronic music to take.