With his solo recording project Manatee Commune, multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and producer Grant Eadie has received attention both across his native Pacific Northwest and nationally for a carefully and organically molded electronic sound in which he pairs natural overtones extracted from field recordings and other sources and live instrumentation and arrangements with slick and incredibly nuanced, contemporary electronic production. Now, if you’ve been following this site since earlier this year, you may recall that Eadie’s most recent EP Thistle was released earlier this year through renowned Brooklyn-based label Bastard Jazz Recordings, the label home of Illa J, Lord Echo and several others.
Interestingly, Eadie’s latest effort is the result of the multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and producer deciding to radically change his songwriting, recording and production process by opening up his studio and gear to friends, collaborators and loved ones, gaining inspiration from the energy of each of those interactions. As Eadie explains in press notes “Learning how to share my creative process with my friends completely revolutionized the last of year of music for me. Inviting those I trusted and loved into my studio to spend even just an hour talking or jamming opened fountains of inventive energy for me, especially from the ones who lacked any musical knowledge. I soon found myself incredibly inspired by the originality of even the smallest interactions with people, and so I pointed my field mic at anyone who had a story, a melody, or a stumbling beat they had been absentmindedly drumming, all in the hopes of capturing their individuality and framing it with my ever expanding insight into audio production.”
“Clay,” Thistle‘s first single paired a stuttering yet breezy and coquettish production twinkling and chiming percussion, a looped flute sample, layers of shimmering synths and swirling electronics with Marina Price’s flirtatious and sultry vocals. Now to my years, the song reminded me a bit of Sylvan Esso — but bouncier and slightly more dance floor friendly. The EP’s latest single “What We’ve Got” is a collaboration featuring the sensual cooing of Flint Eastwood that will further cement Eadie’s growing reputation for slick, coquettish, summertime friendly productions — in this particular song pairs a distorted vocal sample with choppy synths cascades, twinkling and fluttering electronics, handclaps, enormous tweeter and woofer rocking beats. And while being as equally sensual as the previously released single, “What We Got” possess an infectiously upbeat swagger.
You can catch Eadie live this summer as he embarks on a tour that includes a NYC area stop at Alphaville in August. Check out tour dates, below.
Tour Dates
7/7 Victoria, BC – Phillips Backyard
8/10 San Diego – The Hideout*
8/11 Los Angeles – The Echoplex*
8/12 San Francisco – Thee Parkside*
8/14 Seattle – Nectar*
8/16 Madison – Majestic*
8/17 Chicago – Schubas*
8/18 Philadelphia – Milkboy*
8/19 NYC – Alphaville*
8/20 DC – Songbyrd*
* Sync or Swim Tour w/ Shallou