14KT

As if the illustrious lineage of mighty Detroit-aligned producers wasn’t long enough, along comes the Athletic Mic League’s 14TK to add his good name to that ever-growing musical heritage with his debut solo entrée, The Golden Hour. The bulk of this record is instrumental, though that descriptor is bit misleading, as the dexterous beatsmith makes such great use of vocal snippets, samples and full on monologues that his songs find great ease in sticking with you based on that fact alone. But beneath the many voices lays a colourful mixture of diverse beat craft, dynamic bass lines and a vivid array of melodic tones that combine to lend a fully fleshed-out feel to each tune. The delicate tones and snappy beat of hometown ode "Ypsilanti” offer a clear sense of the soulful inclinations that run right through the record, while throwback electro cut "The Waiting Room” and the sonically divergent, multilayered head-nodder "When My Sunsets” complete a well-rounded picture of the heavy skills 14TK have up his sleeve.