New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Brasstracks released their exuberant new single, "Professional" featuring Kyle Dion, via EQT/Capitol Records. Dion's dazzling falsetto shines on the infectious, horn-fueled track, which was recorded at historic East West Studios in Los Angeles. Brasstracks and Dion wrote "Professional" with Bijou Choder and Alexander Ben-Abdallah.
"Professional" with Kyle Dion feels like the start of a new chapter for us, says Brasstracks. "We're finally doing what we've always wanted to do with this one. Instead of doing everything ourselves, we got some of our favorite musicians to play the core parts… and we recorded it all at the same place Pet Sounds was recorded. Kyle wrote his ass off on the song, along with Bijou- they brought a vibe that we never imagined we'd get to. But we're here now. We're so excited to share this one with you guys… and be very prepared for more. "
R&B melodist Kyle Dion has been carving out a lane for himself over the last few years, harnessing a sound that is equal parts retro and modern, with heavy influences from the '90s and '00s. The fully independent artist released his debut album, SUGA, earlier this year, which DJBooth named as one of the "20 Best Hip-Hop and R&B Albums Of 2019 (So Far)." Dion's transition from SoundCloud to stage was effortless, as demonstrated on tour with the likes of PartyNextDoor, Ella Mai, Jhene Aiko, Khalid, Ravyn Lenae, and Joe Buddon's Podcast tour. Having wrapped his first U.S. headline tour earlier this month, Dion will kick off a European run in September.
Brasstracks are fresh off a performance at Outside Lands and the release of the EP Before We Go: Live From Capitol Studios. They also released a corresponding live video for each of the EP's six tracks. Praising the clip for "Snowdaze" featuring Charles Gaines, Billboard said, "the Grammy Award winners recreate the jazzy, hip-hop-tinged track with smooth perfection. The video is powerful, as Gaines delivers delicate vocals and Ivan Jackson and Conor Rayne effortlessly take up the trumpet and drums, respectively." Download / stream the EP HERE. Watch the live performance video for "Snowdaze" featuring Charles Gaines HERE.
Ivan Jackson and Conor Rayne formed Brasstracks while studying jazz at NYC's Manhattan School of Music. Together, they quickly gained a following after posting their songs and covers online. In 2016, Brasstracks released their debut EP, Good Love, which led to performances at festivals across North America in 2017. A slew of new singles and covers followed, culminating in the two-part project For Those Who Know, which included collaborations with Robert Glasper, The Underachievers, Xavier Omar, and others. Cumulative streams of For Those Who Know now are approaching five million. Brasstracks launched their first headline tour in 2018, playing 19 cities and selling out venues in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York City. They have also toured with Lido, Nao, Mr Carmack, Jack Garratt & GRiZ.
In addition to their own recordings, Jackson and Rayne have numerous production credits. In 2016, they produced Chance The Rapper's "No Problem" featuring Lil Wayne & 2Chainz. This led to a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Rap Song and a GRAMMY win for Best Rap Album for their contribution to Chance's Coloring Book. In addition to collaborations with Anderson Paak, GoldLink, Wyclef Jean, Lido and Khalid, Jackson and Rayne have also teamed up with Mark Ronson and contributed to the tracks, "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart," "Don't Leave Me Lonely" and "When You Went Away" on his recent album, Late Night Feelings.
Brasstracks have received praise from Complex, XXL, VICE, Billboard, Earmilk, The Guardian and more. FADER said, "Brasstracks' jazzy horns and mixture of live and programmed percussions [is] a celebration of energy which offers…a unique pleasure all its own." DJBooth noted, "The 2019 Brasstracks mission statement is simple: bring an organic touch to popular music. The rest will be history."
