Both jazz and electronic music are genres which boast quite a bit of stylistic diversity within their respective boundaries. One commonality that many divergent strands share however, is a sense of playfulness. Varsity Star, a Boston-raised, Berlin-trained, and Brooklyn-based artist began in the world of jazz, but has since progressed to solo electronic work. On his new EP out on August 11th entitled That's Something, there exists an aesthetic through line.
Though many of the sketches on That's Something clock in at just a couple of minutes, Varsity Star showcases quite a bit of sonic exploration and experimentation on the eight-track EP. The first single, Slinky, is characterized by breathy percussion and rolls at a pace, akin to something you would find on Gold Panda's Lucky Shiner. But the very next track, Ball, unfolds at a much faster clip and is punctuated by bouncy chirps which sound straight out of Nintendo. Treehouse shows yet another side of Varsity Star, with a melody driven by piano notes and violin plucks, like the backing tune of a radio-friendly pop cut. Finally, he brings everything together on Headphones Kid, the second single, but final and most impressive song on the EP. A beautifully spiraling track, it serves as a euphoric closer to an EP which exudes joy, and yes, playfulness.
Again, the EP will be available on August 11th and can be purchased through Varsity Star's Bandcamp page. As an added bonus, he has pledged to donate all proceeds through the summer to the NAACP, so you can grab That's Something while supporting an important organization.