Release artwork by Nate James
Los Angeles-based producer Rafa Alvarez, a.k.a. Different Sleep, today shared his debut album Forget It on the Friends of Friends imprint. Following up on the tone set by enveloping lead single "First To Say" featuring Vanessa Elisha, the record is full of lush pop-club hybridity. Combining motifs from American R&B with UK dance styles such as garage and jungle, the overall mood is one of rich, romantic introversion. Alvarez sings on a number of the tracks himself—his first time doing so—and guest vocalists include Jarell Perry, IDEH, and Angelina Lucero.The artist told THUMP about the record's genesis over email. "It being my first full length album, Forget It felt like going from painting on an easel to being given an entire room and being told 'do anything you want,'" he said. "It gave me a sense of artistic freedom that was as overwhelming as it was exciting. It also allowed me to take some risks that I normally wouldn't take, like singing over a few of my own songs and exploring different genres.""Forget It is me opening the door to this room I've created over the past year in which a lot of changes and chaos have occurred, both in my own life and in the world. It's a place where I can escape to and forget about everything else and simply exist. It's my sensory deprivation chamber and I've emerged from it with a sense of clarity."The album will be released on Friday January 27, and is available for pre-order.
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