Christian Rich: SS14
We’re delighted to present the debut EP, ‘SS14’, from Christian Rich AKA DJ and production duo and twin brothers Taiwo and Kehinde Hassan.
Nigerian raised, Chicago born, LA-based Christian Rich recently contributed to #1 Billboard albums for Drake, J Cole and Childish Gambino, as well as producing 4 tracks for Earl Sweatshirt‘s #1 Rap Billboard album, ‘Doris’.
They are currently Creative Directors at Redbull Sound Select, producing and A&Ring for associated artists, and pairing them up with emerging artists. This work has involved them with Twin Shadow, Danny Brown, and Earl Sweatshirt for a successful SXSW 2014 showcase, and also got them producing for emerging Brooklyn boy-girl pairing, Denitia & Sene. The twins also tour the world Djing, and recently performed at Gilles Peterson’s ‘Worldwide Awards’ after Peterson had championed EP track, ‘XYAB‘.
The four tracks on this debut create a collage of vintage and vanguard that immediately sets them apart. Lead radio track, ‘Better To’, features both LA band DWNTWN and the Now Faith Apostolic Church Children’s Choir, assembling a dance floor chic surround from the best tricks of the Chicago, Paris, and Detroit production camps. ‘A1‘, featuring M.I.A. cohort, Rye Rye, bangs pure attitude on top of a translucent tropical electro-sleaze, whilst ‘Real Love’ sounds simultaneously like the female reply to Daft Punk’s ‘Something About Us’, and straight-up ‘erection section’ two-step that the ghosts of Minnie Riperton and J Dilla have both had a firm hand in.
Having connected with Diddy, Lupe, J Cole and others under the guidance of Pharrell Williams and Shae Haley of N.E.R.D the twins are now paying the favour back, having introduced Pharrell to Earl Sweatshirt, which birthed the song ‘Burgundy’ for Earl’s album. The cross-genre nature of the Hassan brothers’ work is reminiscent of the lineage of Neptunes’ early material with such great developing/alternative acts as O.D.B., Kelis, and Daft Punk in the 90’s, and, we all know how history tends to repeat.
