CUT_ - “Out Of Touch”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Overcoats, Portishead, Massive Attack

Patient but layered, trip hop duo CUT_ form a sound that is both full and held back, digging deep into their downtempo space on debut record A Small Group of Individuals. Anchored by breakout single “Out Of Touch”, a budding electro-pop anthem emboldened through thick synth melodies, CUT_’s debut is maturely produced and subtly persuasive. Sultry and heady, CUT_ take R&B and new soul melodies and deliver them with subtle grace, a steaming sound rippling through moon-lit currents and the reflections of city headlights on a rainy night. New wave synths and twists of industrial pop inform pieces of A Small Group of Individuals, but their understated, futuristic instincts move those influences to something softer without losing the inherent tension underneath. The Dutch artists’ tight and dynamic sound stems from five-plus years of honing their sound (there’s a few EPs and some one-off singles before A Small Group of Individuals), allowing for breakout moments across the record and finding ways to incorporate drama and hooks within such a purposefully cautious space. (Kevin McStravick)