Tesuto
9 July 2020
Soulection
EP Rating 5 / 5
Brixton multi-instrumentalist and producer Mansur Brown has released three new tracks on his latest EP Tesuto, his first release since his 2018 debut album Shiroi.
Known primarily for his wondrous guitar playing and looking as cool as you like whilst he plays (check out the live 'Mashita' video below and the live version of Yussef Dayes and Alfa Mist's 'Love Is The Message' here), Brown released the much anticipated new music via Soulection Records, the independent label and creative hive for experimental musicians worldwide that was started by the Los Angeles-based DJ collective Soulection.
Having been busy working as a session musician with fellow contemporaries such as Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams over the past few years during his rise through the London jazz scene, Brown describes his vision for Tesuto as such:
"Tesuto (means Test in Japanese) the EP is representative of life and the struggles everyone universally goes through and looking at these obstacles and challenges as tests. The idea that no one is given an obstacle that they cannot overcome whether it's a struggle that plagues a community or someone individually. This EP is my testament to God."
The EP spans genres of R&B, hip hop, electronic and ambient. Last track 'Jamilla' is the most atmospheric of them all, almost sounding like a computer pazzing out but with a beautiful tone to it. The electronic trickling is on the heavier ambient spectrum compared to 'Serene', where the main synth line at the start feels cosmic as the electronics ricochet behind again. The droney-bassline is layered perfectly to match the grime-esque percussion tones before the breakdown sees Brown caress our ears with a gorgeous guitar riff. The effects on a secondary guitar acts like liquid silk gushing out before the percussion comes back in with extra oomph.
'It's My Time' has a guitar looping like a birdsong echoing the early morning sounds, whilst the bass and drums absolutely bang on the beat as Brown layers a selection of guitar melodies to fuse into a golden groove. This is an EP that allows you to reset your body clock, with Brown on the money once again for his innovative approach to calm you down into a chill mood.
Buy and stream Tesuto here:
Follow Mansur Brown here:
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