‘Spring Mixtape for Bromance’ from Kaytranada

This legendary downtempo hip-hop mix originally dropped in the spring of 2013 for the French label Bromance Records (which recently dissolved), but too few listeners out there got a chance to hear it out since Kaytranada really began to sound off after his debut album 99.9% hit airwaves last May with XL Recordings.

It features collabs with Anderson Paak, GoldLink and Vic Mensa, among others. Visit Kaytra’s site and you will immediately notice that he’s also a fellow supporter of plant medicine, and you can play a customized video game from the album.

When you listen to this seasonal mixtape, you can hear Kaytra pulling from his unique experience of being a Haitian-born Canadian. Quite familiar with the paralyzing darkness of the deep north winters and the bounce of life in the sun, it all shines through in the tracks.

From funk disco to modern rap to downtempo bass, Who better to help you dance out that seasonal depression and add some spring to your step than this guy? Not to be easily labeled or categorized, this dynamic collection features a wide variety of beats and styles, most of which only a studio-dwelling cratedigger like Kaytra could pick out.

You can feel that push-pull vibe with flavors of deep, dark and slow beats of winter guiding you through to passageways of light, life and warmth into spring. While he has several dope mixes out there, without a doubt this ranks near the top. Even in 2017, this somehow still feels like the future of electronic music.