Premiere: Kelvin T & Takeem ‘Harbor’
Hong Kong’s Kelvin T & Takeem step up on Eastern Margins with five tracks of hyperactive DIY rap
Kelvin T & Takeem will release a new collaborative EP, ‘Synthetic’, via Eastern Margins’ label this month. Listen to the opening track, ‘Harbor’, below.
The Hong Kong DJ/producer and MC link up for five cuts that bridge neon-hued gutter and cloud rap stylings with hyperpop, deconstructed club and brash electro. A scrappy, sugar-rush-inducing mixture of hyped-up sounds and auto-tuned vocals, the EP feels simultaneously tied to the Hong Kong underground rave scene the pair both came up in, and the HD productions of PC Music’s A.G. Cook or Nikki Minaj. Recorded with minimal equipment – literally just Kelvin T’s laptop – it’s still a devoutly DIY affair, and thrives off the raw, experimental energy that process provides.
The EP is also an ode to Hong Kong venue XXX, a crucial hub for the city’s underground nightlife scene that was sadly shut in 2018 due to licensing issues and rising rents. The duo’s collaboration on ‘Synthetic’ is a reflection of the community spirit they felt from that venue when it was open, and signals their hope for a new wave of underground talent emerging within Hong Kong’s scene.
The EP marks the 10th release on Eastern Margins, the London-based collective and label that celebrates East and Southeast Asian artists in club culture around the world.
‘Synthetic’ will be released on 15th September. Pre-order it here.
