Tune in Tuesday
Kelela Mizanekristos
CUT 4 ME MIXTAPE
Miles Raymer of Pitchfork on Kelela and her mixtape Cut 4 Me
"Raised in the Maryland suburbs around D.C. on a diet of 1990s
pop-R&B divas before relocating to the bustling L.A. bass scene,
Kelela is attempting to do what dozens of top-tier singers, songwriters,
and producers are also trying, which is to take the moody sounds of the
sorts of electronic musicians orbiting club nights/labels/collectives
like Night Slugs and Fade to Mind, and give them a more pop-friendly
spin that will appeal to listeners who don’t normally go in for severely
dark dance music. Unlike other singers working at similar aims, Kelela is tight enough
with the Fade to Mind/Night Slugs crews to collaborate with them
directly, so her beats come straight from the source: Bok Bok,
Nguzunguzu, Girl Unit, FtM founder Kingdom,
and other affiliated artists who’ve helped define a booming, severely
stripped-down sound pieced together from bits of techno, grime, R&B,
drum & bass, and dubstep’s pre-neon days. It’s well-constructed
launchpad that she’s acquired for herself, and she doesn’t waste it."Check out Kelela interviews with Lily Mercer and Fact TV below and try not to fall in love with this soul sista. She is refreshing, electric, unique and very down to earth. She shines when talking about her role in music especially in the progression of R & B.
The Lily Mercer Show
Kelela has worked with many talented artists, including one of our favorites Solange Knowles, who featured Kelela single All Night on her R&B compilation album St. Heron. The album also features artists Cassie, Sampha, Jhené Aiko, Petite Noir, Jade De La Fleur, Starchild, BC Kingdom, India Shawn, Iman Omari, and Solange herself.
All Night
