London artists Big Jam and Bixby, who make music as Arkon Fly, are prone to flirt with vintage dancefloor tropes—but that doesn't make them dyed-in-the-wool nostalgia fetishists. Rather, the pair's first single, the funky, hook-laden "Through the Fire", showcased a group looking to streamline the kind of radio-focused club hits popularized by Duke Dumont, Route 94, and Gorgon City with the immediacy of classic, DJ-friendly tracks.
"4 My People", Arkon Fly's latest production, takes their method further into the backwards-looking time warp. The producers juggle an array of disparate elements—ravey synth stabs, swinging garage beats, jazzy horn sections, dashes of jumpy organ licks, and playful basslines—to make a tune that leans heavily on the carefree essence of jubilant, '90s-era big beat without sounding strictly derivative. There are undoubtedly sounds woven into "4 My People" that those even casually interested in dance music's history have heard before, but Arkon Fly's production and songwriting chops are developed enough to treat them as stylistic reference points instead of kitschy crutches. Reported by Pitchfork 2 hours ago.
"4 My People", Arkon Fly's latest production, takes their method further into the backwards-looking time warp. The producers juggle an array of disparate elements—ravey synth stabs, swinging garage beats, jazzy horn sections, dashes of jumpy organ licks, and playful basslines—to make a tune that leans heavily on the carefree essence of jubilant, '90s-era big beat without sounding strictly derivative. There are undoubtedly sounds woven into "4 My People" that those even casually interested in dance music's history have heard before, but Arkon Fly's production and songwriting chops are developed enough to treat them as stylistic reference points instead of kitschy crutches. Reported by Pitchfork 2 hours ago.
