Supreme Cuts - Divine Ecstasy

Mike Perry and Austin Keultjes are an unlikely production duo, in that they have instead adopted a misty R&B sound shrouded in fuzz. It’s helped them to stand out among the legions of ethereal hip-hop producers, especially when considering their percussion takes a backseat on a majority of their productions. It’s a murky and avant-garde approach to R&B that remains gripping throughout their second album as Supreme Cuts, ‘Divine Ecstasy’.

Clouded in thick walls of sound, their euphoric take on R&B is as experimental as it is alluring. There’s a hazy sound defined that frequently pulls from other genres and consistently surprises, but it never pushes too far away from what the duo are so evidently good at. Circling synths, syrupy melodies and ghostly vocals all come together as a tenacious whole. However, the abundance of guests is where the record meets it downfall.

‘Down’ features some awfully discordant rapping from Khallee and David Ashley, which stings all the worse when The GTW offers a soulful hook amidst the muddiness. The mix gets muddy on a few other tracks as well, with the Py featuring ‘Faded’ coming off as particularly clunky. The shrill vocals on ‘Brown Flowers’, courtesy of Mahaut Modino, are an off-putting low point lathered in melodrama. These tracks just so happen to break the flow of the record, which is otherwise strong.

But, not all of the vocal contributions come out quite as poorly - ‘Envision’ and ‘Cocktails’ offer two exciting examples of what the duo are capable of when working with vocalists. Their sound is very clearly defined, even when elements of Jazz and neo-psychedelica seep in - but, had the duo chosen their vocal contributors more carefully, ‘Divine Ecstasy’ could’ve been something special. Instead, we’re left with an exciting showcase of potential and a few legitimate ‘avant-bangers’.