Alan Wilkis Debuts His Newest PRINT, 'Shadow' -- Song Premiere + Free Download

Posted on Jan 25th 2012 11:12AM by Cameron Matthews
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Alan Wilkis

Alan Wilkis is one of Brooklyn, N.Y.'s best kept secrets. The producer has been remixing the likes of Yeasayer, RJD2, Phantogram and many others to great critical acclaim, but now it's time for the beatmaker to put on his bandleader cap and step out on his own. Wilkis' newest project, 'PRINTS,' is a multimedia collection of songs, videos and art installations that all stem from the same instrumental seed.

After working the Kickdrums on 'Come and Go' and getting the remix treatment from Spacebrother and Big Pooh, Wilkis is releasing 'Shadow,' which features the gritty rhymes of Lyrics Born and the sweet vocals of White Hinterland.

Alan Wilkis

"Duality is at the heart of 'Shadow,' both musically and lyrically. As Casey Dienel [from White Hinterland] and I were brainstorming in the studio, we kept coming back to the idea of a shadow as a two-faced entity -- something which can be a positive or a negative," Wilkis tells Spinner. "A shadow is always imminently close by, following your every move, and 'tethered to all my dreams,' as Casey sings ... but depending on your relationship to this shadow, it can either be a welcome and desirable presence, or a terrifying and evil presence."

"Musically, the verses and choruses embody those opposite characters -- the verses have that ominous, unsettling kind of feel. And the choruses, though still pretty dark, feel like a massive release from that terror. Lyrics Born approached his verses with that duality in mind -- the mysterious muse that he raps about drums up these intense feelings of passion and desire, and then utter madness and despair at other times. He's intoxicated and intrigued by her, but he's simultaneously trapped and terrified."

Check out 'Shadows' below and if you dig it, go ahead and download it via the SoundCloud widget! Check back over at PRINTS for Wilkis' next release.

Listen to 'Shadow'

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