Houis (pronounced “weece”) is French-American, New York-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and visual artist, who has developed an R&B lo-fi sound with elements of indie electro pop and indie house, influenced by Bonobo and Tom Misch.
The New York-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and visual artist’s debut album Outgrown is slated for release early this year though Berlin-based label Lekker Collective. The album reportedly depicts the full range of Houis’ influences, including UK garage inspired lo-fi instrumentals, 80s inspired indie pop, R&B and neo soul while featuring guest spots from Emmett Kai, Blush’ko and and others.
Late last year, I wrote about album single “Longtemps,” a woozy, neo-soul-like instrumental built around boom bap beats, glistening keys, reverb-drenched guitars and a funky hook. The song manages to subtly nod at J. Dilla instrumental beat tapes while evoking a desperately needed feeling of serenity in a mad, mad, mad world.
“With ‘Longtemps’, I was definitely gravitating towards a more mellow/cozy vibe than some of the other tracks on my upcoming album,” Houis explains. “The intention was to write something with a romantic essence: like being in the arms of the person you love and feeling a sense of serenity.”
“Can’t Explain,” Houis’ latest single continues a remarkable run of vibey, neo-soul-inspired bops centered around glistening Rhodes, skittering boom bap paired with Foriegnlocal.’s coquettish delivery and Ushuaia‘s blasts of fluttering guitar. “Can’t Explain” manages to feel warm, intimate, and dreamlike yet subtly melancholy.
The track is described by Foriegnlocal. as feeling like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds on a winter day: “the lyrics reflect on feeling so lucky to have that ray of sunshine in your life, feeling their warmth, making you feel loved and comforted whenever they’re around.”
“I knew Foriegnlocal’s organic and soulful style of singing would be a perfect fit, and Ushuaia’s guitar had a beautiful neo-soul influence which added just the right colour to the entire track,” Houis adds.