Greg Hill's new EP is a state of mind. I feel armageddon, my own mortal existence, and a burning desire to hit the club. Call it a vibe.
The first track "I've Come Alive" sets the landscape with surrealist synth texture and a heavy backbeat before Hill's mellow lyrics take the lead like a synth wave King Krule. "The Instext", track two, gives us an idea of what "Requiem for Malls" might sound like with Anderson.Paak on drums before the next track "Project, Pt 2" moves us to more disco vibes. Finally "The Origin of the Species", the title track, brings that discotheque into the foreground. I feel like I'm in a spy movie looking for someone important in a smokey club tuned to the dystopian Cyndi Lauper techno mix. Mission complete.
One consistent move between Origin and Hill's 2017 album "I Promise I'm Clean, Haven't Done a Thing" is an ability to set the scene, tell a story, and keep us engaged. Otherwise, this new musical direction steps away from the indie vibes of old and embraces a new synthesizer texture world.