Track: TTY – Buttercream

TTY are our sort of band. Ahead of the release of their EP this coming Friday on the ever brilliant Young Turks label, they’ve shared a track, Buttercream. But it goes way beyond that. As the label say:

They definitely slept in the Young Turks studio for about 18 months. They would emerge from the studio, wrapped in blankets, looking like they’d been in there for a week straight. The whole EP was made that way; written, produced, the artwork made, pretty much everything done in that small room.

They used to throw pretty mad parties during the ‘Occupy’ phase. We’d find out last minute. Sampha DJed at one, RZA attended another, Obongjayar performed and Dean Blunt donated his smoke machine. London youth on a rooftop.

Things with TTY never follow a linear narrative. This is the second body of work made to be released on Young Turks but the first to see the light of day.

Around the time they were recording the first EP, they blew their entire marketing budget on flights to Japan, a trip they told us was for the purpose of taking some press photos and shooting a video. They requested that we provide the highest of high-end brands (mainly Prada) for an entire wardrobe for all members. They spent three weeks there, but we’ve never seen anything. The photos we are using now were taken in the bathroom at the office.

Usually EP deals take less than a week to complete and no more than a few hours of a lawyer’s time. But negotiations with TTY took over 18 months. Their lawyer actually quit half way through. TTY’s Deji Okeze took over lawyer duties and tried adding this clause into the deal :

– three (3) Maharishi “XL” jackets (one (1) size L and two (2) size XL);
– one (1) new iphone 7;
– one (1) new Macbook Pro (most current version);
– two (2) Pioneer CDJ2000’s and a Pioneer DJM 950 mixer (the one with the pitch option on the 4 buttons) – in all white (or will accept office ones);
– two (2) Yamaha NS10M speakers;
– one (1) Prada Bag (Art. 2VZ136 / Materiale.NYLON LETTERING / Coloure. NERO M) ordered with the initials TT.

The track itself is this juicy, funky electro / hip-hop cut, the organ jazz chords holding things together, while the beat cuts in and out and male / female raps trade. As well as the late night / early morning partylyrical content, there’s also this bleary eyed, sun rising feel about it. Spectacular.