THEESatisfaction - THEESatisfaction Loves Erykah Badu [mixtape]

THEESatisfaction’s number-crunching and delightfully to-the-point debut ‘awE naturalE’ was much loved in the Dummy camp, so much in fact that we named it our 16th favourite album of last year. In October, Stasia Irons & Catherine Harris-White followed their Sub Pop debut with a mixtape paying homage to Anita Baker’s big 80s voice, and they’re now pouring more love onto their idols with the ‘Loves Erykah Badu’ tape.

Badu’s futuristic soul certainly feels like a more obvious reference point to the Seattle duo than the pristine grooves of Baker, and things feel more fleshed-out than the swift sketches of the Baker tape. At times they call on a chopped ‘n’ screwed mentality as Badu’s back catalogue is manipulated and hacked away at – resulting in the lumbering mystics of IThink collapsing into IKnoulove(me), which peppers original voice over a wound-down sample. Later, Stars Set In jerks about cosmically, and Refresh finishes things off with breezy and gleaming instrumentation. More deconstruction than straight-up dedication, it suggests Stasia and Catherine have found a creative and intriguing way to channel admiration for their influences.

On their Bandcamp, the collection comes accompanied with the simple statement: “peace To The Queen”. Stream or download it free of charge below.