Chicago Duo Tensei Let Loose Bandcamp & Spotify-exclusive Single "Walk It Out" Feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow (Tokyo Dawn Records)
Tensei is a Chicago-based composer/producer/musician/beat-maker/song-writer "dream" team consisting of Chris "Kramer" Kramer and Midas Wells. "The two have a vast wealth of influences and history to inform their production including: Hip-Hop, House, Soul, Jazz, Library, and Electronic music among others; as a result, they create eclectic compositions that fuse many disparate styles," Tokyo Dawn Records' press page explains. Since about 2012, Tensei have worked alongside and remixed the likes of A. Billi Free, Anderson .Paak, Bilal, Black Thought, Denmark Vessey, Jimetta Rose, Tall Black Guy, TOKiMONSTA, and Dirty Science emcee ADaD. Interestingly enough, Midas Wells & Kramer rarely ever make use of source material/samples, both playing and composing most musical elements themselves, but, often, enlisting a talented cast of Chicago-based Jazz & Soul artists, which includes Makaya McCraven, Greg Spero, Kafele, and Junius Paul, amongst others. Earlier this year, Tokyo Dawn quietly released Tensei's latest long-form project, Constellate—soon followed up by Constellate (Instrumentals)—featuring vocal assists from frequent collaborators ADaD & Jimetta Rose, as well as new-comer A. Billi Free on stand-out "Liquid Tongues." Tensei's "Liquid Tongues" AKA "40,000 Harpedelic" Feat. A. Billi Free, Tim Seisser & Brandee Younger was even given the visual treatment from Shawn Johnson (@oldsoulbrother1) of NEKTR, who has previously created eclectic music/promo videos for everyone from CZARFACE to The Du-Rites.
Just last night, I received a mysterious cold-sent email from Kramer & Midas Wells entitled "Tensi feat. [Georgia] Anna Muldrow Single." It was soon revealed, with a bit further investigation, to be feel-good Summertime jam, "Walk It Out." In addition to Stones Throw/BRAINFEEDER affiliate Georgia Anne Muldrow, "Walk It Out," also, features Jazz stalwarts Greg Spero (Halsey,) Brandon Meeks, and Kafele, as well as mixing and mastering by Benjamin Tierney. A track originally, several years in-the-making, Kramer tells The Witzard "Walk It Out" was recently dusted off for said collaboration with Muldrow and "is really, about telling folks to think twice, before doing things they will regret." Bandcamp Daily will be hosting an exclusive feature on Tensei's "Walk It Out" from May 15-20, 2019 with an accompanying editorial highlighting Chicago-based artists. Then, starting on May 20th, "Walk It Out" will be released on all other digital streaming platforms, along with the instrumental and two exclusive remixes from Tokyo Dawn label-mate Inkswel with John Robinson and Kenny Keys. Tensei plan to release yet another new single with Jimetta Rose this Summer and are preparing to soon tour behind their upcoming full-length collaboration with A. Billi Free, I Luma, to tentatively be released on Tokyo Dawn Records in late August.
