Kaytranada – 99.9%
Release Date: 06/05/2016
Label: XL
Producers: Kaytranada
Singles: Leave Me Alone, Glowed Up

Kaytranada has emerged as one of the most exciting producers in the industry right now. Criss-crossing an array of genres into his work, either via remixes for names such as Disclosure, BADBADNOTGOOD, Snakehips and Flume among others, as well as via his productional work for the likes of Vic Mensa and Mick Jenkins. And as this impressively varied back-catalogue would suggest, Kaytranada’s work isn’t easy to categorise.

99.9% is a masterpiece of fusion. Through jazz to neo-soul, R&B to hip-hop, the project weaves cuts chops and flows in and out of an abundance of sounds. Take Breakdance Lesson N.1 for example. Featuring funk-fired, Prince-recalling riffs, the song’s housey synths consume the riff and coupled with kicking percussion, the direction is initially confusing, yet utterly absorbing. This is the general flavour of the project, never can you predict where the song is going, but after a few tracks- you completely trust Kaytranda’s judgement.

All-out electronica stemming directly from house is a consistent element of 99.9%, with the Little Dragon-featuring Bullets beaming Disclosure, with synth-relying production flowing in and out of vocal samples. This timeless garage-house sound continues to be modernised across the project, with the hypnotic One Too Many emerging as one of the album’s many highlights.

I have few, if not any criticisms of Kaytranda’s 99.9%. It’s an intoxicating listen from start to finish, and the project has you hooked from the opening chill-ride Track Uno, right up until he brings the near-faultless project to a close with the claps and whistles on Bullets. Kaytranada’s music was difficult to categorise before listening to 99.9%, and that job hasn’t been made any easier, however it’s now much more easier to provide a verdict- exceptional.

Verdict – WWWW