Today Ninjatune announced the signing of Lee Bannon with a free EP that acts as the fountainhead to his upcoming December debut Alternate/Endings. On the Place/Crusher EP, Bannon's overture of notty, false starts is a deconstruction of his rap origins. Those who know him as a producer within Joey Bada$$'s circle will be checking liner notes to determine if it's the same guy. Those who know Bannon's experimental EPs which brought gothic overtones to trap wave instrumentals, could not have predicted the current incarnation of Bannon either.
The Place/Crusher EP is a menace to stasis. For every breakbeat-worthy moment of discovery Bannon unveils, there's a mutation to deny an extended stay. With a casual manner Bannon layers ethereal r&b/soul samples atop jungle patterns and just when it feels appropriate to catch the rhythm, he washes it clean for drones and glitchy pings. As a precursor to Alternate/Endings, the Place/Crusher EP merits a signing to the label responsible for inventors and innovators like The Herbaliser, Bonobo, Coldcut, and Actress.
Alternate/Endings is out December 9 on Ninja Tune.
