Devonwho - Luz

Pitchfork 65

Matthew McQueen’s Leaving Records is quickly becoming one of the most diverse labels going. His own music swings from hip-hop to ambient, and McQueen has found common ground between those dueling interests, releasing a stream of disparate records ranging from the new age of Laraaji, SunPath, and his own Matthewdavid moniker to unclassifiable records by Guy Blakeslee, Seiho, and Deantoni Parks and a steady stream of off-kilter hip-hop in the mode of Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint. Luz, from L.A. producer Devonwho, is the latest Leaving release to continue the trend, drawing on R&B, funk, and hip-hop.

Devonwho (born Devon Fox) is part of the Klipmode collective that includes friends and Leaving labelmates Mndsgn, Knxwledge, and Suzi Analogue, and their vision for hip-hop shares both influences and an ideological point of view, celebrating the synth-driven nostalgia of the early ’80s. Luz is situated in a wobbly aesthetic of Zapp-style synths, with a blunted haze hanging on top of everything.

At its best, Luz presents Devonwho as a fresh new voice, with a handful of standout tracks that argue that even today there’s still gold to be found in the g-funk swamps. The moody “Trueandyou” has a pulsing, emotive synth and a stuttering hi-hat beat, and “Andthentherewas” comes off like a lazy brother of “Still D.R.E.,” featuring a similarly plinky melody. Both tracks recognize the value of melody over squelch, and Devonwho drapes a lovely overlay of synths to complete the picture. “Alphaloop,” “Trio,” and “Anti-ragequit” mine a similar vein, with the latter sounding like it could have been the anthem to a different, more Dazed and Confused version of Stranger Things.

On two of Luz’s weaker tracks, Devonwho brings in vocalists, perhaps as a way of advertising his production to beat-seeking rappers. As uninspiring as the vocal cuts are, they present a welcome change of pace on a record with a relatively limited palette and a handful of boring snoozes. At a relatively economical 39 minutes, and with 11 of its 13 tracks being instrumentals, Luz amply showcases Devonwho’s chops as a producer. But as a listening experience, it lags well behind this fall’s more consistent and inspired Body Wash from Klipmode compatriot Mndsgn.