Baltimore, Maryland chiptune & jazz fusion producer Button Masher making his full-length studio debut. Since the turn of the decade, he’s dropped a total of 10 extended plays & 4 mixtapes including the Tracker Vision series. One of the most iconic names in the entire LA beat scene Flying Lotus signed him to Brainfeeder Records distributed by Ninja Tune earlier this summer & it was more than enough for me give the Super Button Masher a listen so I could get a better understanding of who he is artistically.
“Pastel Roses” beautifully sets the tone of what’s to come with this 3 minute intro blending jazz fusion & 16-bit whereas the lead single “Magic Dragon Ride” comes through with a tribute to 菊田 裕樹 that feels reminiscent of the soundtrack to the iconic SNES RPG Chrono Trigger. “Tower Climb” brings saxophonist Nicole McCabe into the picture for another 16-bit/jazz fusion crossover further incorporating some wavy synth melodies & after the 2nd single “House Party” featuring Amanda Barise instrumentally treads funkier waters, “The Space Between Worlds” takes it back to the combination of jazz fusion & 16-bit reminding me of something outta the earlier Sonic the Hedgehog games.
Kicking off the 2nd half of his debut, “Dance of the Twin Bees” retains those 2 styles I had mentioned earlier for a colorful composition until “Hidden Power” hits us with a rush of synthesizers emphasizing the 16-bit side of things. The 3rd & final single “Tallinn Massage Chair” featuring nu jazz duo Sungazer was conceived after coming across a weirdly shaped massage chair at a hotel in Tallinn, Estonia when they were touring but once “EDBM” featuring drummer Dana Hawkins & bassist Evan Marien for a jazz fusion cut, the closer “Pause Menu for the Broken Hearted” finishes the Button Masher’s inaugural LP with 1 last 16-bit track.
The soundtrack to what many including myself would the greatest Mario game of all-time Super Mario World has been universally accepted as the pinnacle of 16-bit, so for FlyLo to bring an artist in that vein on board the Brainfeeder roster was an exciting move & Super Button Masher definitely encapsulates Button Masher’s growth over the years. He essentially produced a half hour’s worth of jazz fusion & 16-bit mixtures taking us back to simpler times in the midst of merging nostalgia with all he’s learned throughout his career up until this point.
Score: 4/5
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