On the recently Hyperdub released Nextlife compilation, celebrating the legacy of the TEKlife crew past and present, DJ Phil’s “Godz House” chops up the slick words of a hustling preacher putting a price on the word of the lord to the left to right monitor echoes of “more, more, more.” It’s the same dark side of spirituality fellow Chicagoan, Jeremiah Jae explored with his Young Black Preachers record, Gesus. In this lens Chicago is a bitter place where even high winds can’t seem to sweep the streets clean. Rather than submit to the crooked peddlers, DJ Phil crafted the With Me EP, which could be seen as taking the statement of finding higher ground within and in practice on the beat machine.
The eponymous song glides on the sensual vocals of an orchestral r&b track that cannot be mistaken as a spiritual beckon, this is footwork for making babies, but the accompanying tracks “Sour Apple VIP” and “HWG” are featherweight and open to interpretation. Closer “HWG” finds common ground between the r&b pinning of dreams coming true with the hyperkinetic patterns of jungle, while “Sour Apple VIP” is like vintage Just Blaze fed through the footwork gauntlet. DJ Phil’s With Me EP is not out to question or critique, but to celebrate, commemorate, and appreciate the good things that bring warmth and blue skies.
Download the full With Me EP on the TAR bandcamp.
