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Music

Aleksander Vinter's Blanco Project Will Make You Move Your Culo

Savant is taking a break.

Aleksander Vinter, the prodigious musical anomaly known by most the musical world as Savant, is unveiling another side of himself with the upcoming release of his Blanco EP on November 20. Gone is the epileptic 8-bit sugar high that defined the work of Savant. The Blanco project is, Vinter told me a few months ago, like something coming out of the jungle to get you. Sure enough, it's heavily rhythmic dance music heavily influenced by one of Puerto Rico's biggest exports: reggaeton.

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Premiering today on THUMP is "Bailamos," an exceptional tune that mashes horns and dancehall-esque vocals together to form something that will inevitably get you moving your culo. The track is officially out November 13 on iTunes and Bandcamp.

Aleksander spoke with us briefly ahead of the premiere about the new project.

THUMP: Why the new identity?

Aleksander Vinter: Blanco has been around for over five years, I just haven't known where to take it before now. Savant has had a long time to season and make new records and become my main thing. So, I'm passing the torch to Blanco for all the dirty dancefloor stuff. Savant's gonna do something more alternative and maybe more mainstream.

How would you describe the sound of the new project?
I grew up with a bunch of new-age and world music, and always loved the feeling of an electronic beat with sampled vocals from a shaman or chants. Later in life I discovered reggaeton and dancehall. A mix of all these past and present things make a sound in my head thats very worldly, but also very dancefloor oriented.

Where did the interest in reggaeton come from?
I heard "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee on TV as a teen and it stuck with me as a catchy, sexy, and dancey tune. The girl singing, Glory, is someone I really want to work with. The style needs an update perhaps, but the rhythm in the beat gets me everytime.

Do you expect Savant fans to like the album?
Nope, but I hope EDM fans like it. But, I think a Savant fan is someone who is ready for a surprise. If not, see A

The horns at the start of "Bailamos" have an awesome lo-fi quality to them, how did you get the sound?
Its a sampler with brass samples in it, nothing really fancy. I was just listening for something that sounded real, but still punchy. I think maybe I compressed them too hard and went stupid on the EQ. They're edgy.

What else can you tell us about "Bailamos"?
"Bailamos" was written in 2010 back in Norway with my friend Eben JR who's a singer/rapper. I was working on his early afrobeat and dancehall stuff, but we never really finished our demos. I found the acapellas from 2010 and made it work for this project. He has such a deep and charismatic voice, it was hard to ignore it. I've also used acapellas from the same 2010 sessions on several Savant tracks, like "Wild Ganja."

Aleksander Vinter, the prodigious musical anomaly known by most the musical world as Savant, is unveiling another side of himself with the upcoming release of his Blanco EP on November 20. Gone is the epileptic 8-bit sugar high that defined the work of Savant. The Blanco project is, Vinter told me a few months ago, like something coming out of the jungle to get you. Sure enough, it's heavily rhythmic dance music heavily influenced by one of Puerto Rico's biggest exports: reggaeton.

Premiering today on THUMP is "Bailamos," an exceptional tune that mashes horns and dancehall-esque vocals together to form something that will inevitably get you moving your culo. The track is officially out November 13 on iTunes and Bandcamp.

Aleksander spoke with us briefly ahead of the premiere about the new project.

THUMP: Why the new identity?

Aleksander Vinter: Blanco has been around for over five years, I just haven't known where to take it before now. Savant has had a long time to season and make new records and become my main thing. So, I'm passing the torch to Blanco for all the dirty dancefloor stuff. Savant's gonna do something more alternative and maybe more mainstream.

How would you describe the sound of the new project?
I grew up with a bunch of new-age and world music, and always loved the feeling of an electronic beat with sampled vocals from a shaman or chants. Later in life I discovered reggaeton and dancehall. A mix of all these past and present things make a sound in my head thats very worldly, but also very dancefloor oriented.

Where did the interest in reggaeton come from?
I heard "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee on TV as a teen and it stuck with me as a catchy, sexy, and dancey tune. The girl singing, Glory, is someone I really want to work with. The style needs an update perhaps, but the rhythm in the beat gets me everytime.

Do you expect Savant fans to like the album?
Nope, but I hope EDM fans like it. But, I think a Savant fan is someone who is ready for a surprise. If not, see A

The horns at the start of "Bailamos" have an awesome lo-fi quality to them, how did you get the sound?
Its a sampler with brass samples in it, nothing really fancy. I was just listening for something that sounded real, but still punchy. I think maybe I compressed them too hard and went stupid on the EQ. They're edgy.

What else can you tell us about "Bailamos"?
"Bailamos" was written in 2010 back in Norway with my friend Eben JR who's a singer/rapper. I was working on his early afrobeat and dancehall stuff, but we never really finished our demos. I found the acapellas from 2010 and made it work for this project. He has such a deep and charismatic voice, it was hard to ignore it. I've also used acapellas from the same 2010 sessions on several Savant tracks, like "Wild Ganja."

Aleksander Vinter is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter

Aleksander Vinter is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter