Album Premiere: Index — ‘TEPHRA: (RE)LOADED’
Posted: by The Editor
Artwork by Alfred.
The Richmond, Virginia duo INDEX are back with an expanded version of their August EP, TEPHRA. It’s a glistening, glittery take on dance music, electronic, and hip hop. The record fits comfortably alongside their peers like Shormey and Ty Sorrell, but also manages to evoke ‘90s rave favorites like Squarepusher and LFO.
INDEX is a DJ and production duo comprised of ARCHANGEL and Sanji The Hedgehog. A veteran of Richmond’s thriving underground rap scene, Sanji has been producing lofi hip hop music for years, rapping over their own beats when they weren’t busy Engineering or acting as a key organizer for the rap collective Secret Bonus Level. ARCHANGEL is three years deep into her DJ career, and, when she’s not spinning, is a vocalist for horrorcore outfit BLVCKPUNX, as well as the founder of Ice Cream Social, a dance party and mutual-aid platform for Queer and Trans people of color. With their combined forces, ARCHANGEL and Sanji are able to uniquely merge Baile music, lo-fi hip hop, R&B, and video game aesthetics to craft a truly unique sound and ethos.
TEPHRA: (RE)LOADED is ultimately one of the most fun listens to emerge from the world of underground electronic music this year. Opening track “(RE)BIRTH” brings to mind Tumblr rap artists like Kitty, before it amps up the energy and evolves into a glitchy, Sporting Life-y banger. “SUPERSHINE 99’” is a certified drum and bass anthem that uses an Avalanches-y sample to keep the track feeling sunny instead of cyberpunk or dystopian. I’m excited to drop the track in my first post-COVID DJ set. “WAVEDASH” is a glitched out slice of summery synth pop that sounds like the perfect soundtrack to a lazy day spent playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, while “Kinda Thing” recalls Richmond producers like Nickelus F and pockets. The record is being pressed to tape by uber-curated indie label Citrus City, and is a wonderful addition to the label’s recent run of releases from artists like Yalc123, Flung, and Pedazo De Carne Con Ojo.
Stream TEPHRA: (RE)LOADED below. It’s a record that’s sure to get you movin’.
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Ted Davis | @tddvsss
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