released: may 17, 2024

genre: dance / electronic

from: new york, usa

label: bbe

a few thoughts: i’m writing this after witnessing one of my favourite dj sets at we out here festival, dorset, uk. the duo, consisting of  brandon weems and craig handfield blew me the fuck away with their menacing, groovy and intense house rhythms that night, and quickly prompted me to check out their music, as for some wild reason i missed this when it came out back in may of this year. sugar honey iced tea! is their debut album, a stunning 13-track album, with jazzy and r&b influences sprinkled over hard-hitting house grooves. from the soulful cuts of “tonight” and “every party must come to an end”, both featuring kamaal, to the menacing, percussion-heavy grooves of “running out of time” and “i don’t remember the last time i saw stars”, the playful yet incredibly catchy and funky melodies throughout the album is what make the album such a joy to listen to. the catchy melodies of “circles II” features stunning and soulful vocals from toribio as well as incredible rhythms, while “there’s space for us all” is a meandering, synth-heavy cut, meandering between synth melodies, drum patterns and melodic keys that make this such an immersive and beautiful listening experience. with a gentle lightness and colourful energy throughout the album, it’s a perfect summer time listen, and one that has already proven to sound exceptional on the dance floor.

in july, the duo released double honey pack, a remix album featuring reworks from the likes of legend louie vega and maurice fulton amongst others. they are exceptional too and well worth the listen.

the album: