Vanilla is a producer from the UK who makes delicious soul-inspired beats. If I were a rapper, I would immediately hire him to make beats for my upcoming platinum-selling release. But since I’m quite clearly not a rapper, I will instead encourage you to listen to the title track from what I believe to be his strongest album, “Chrometrails”.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. Sparkly piano. Hip-hop thrives on low-end, but a lot of beatmakers forget that they key is having something nice and shiny in the high frequencies to complement the bass.
2. Off-beat percussion. Can’t tell if the kick is a bit behind, or if the snare is a bit ahead, but it gives the track a laid-back, Flying Lotus type of groove.
3. High-def vinyl crackle. Especially when those strings come in. Like the fabric-fluff sound you hear when you plunge your face into your favourite pillow.
Recommended listening activity:
Riding the bus through your favourite neighbourhood at night.