Who doesn’t love Eric André?
As indecipherable as his comedy can be, there’s no denying that the man puts himself through a lot for our entertainment. He’s pissed off almost every guest he’s ever hosted, beaten up Santa, and even been kicked out of an Alex Jones rally – where he attempted to crash the stage and buy Zootopia tickets from a decrepit group of Trump-supporting baby boomers. And that’s not even to mention all the times he took over the New York Subway during rush-hour as a centaur, a mail-destroying postman, and a clumsy beekeeper, among others. And while Adult Swim’s irreverent slapstick has already inspired a number of producers, from Flying Lotus to Thelonius Martin, Vancouver-based producer Altru is perhaps one of the first to directly sample The Eric André Show, which he does throughout the Pronto EP, his latest release.
In conversation, Altru – né Colin Elsinga – describes Pronto as a spontaneous project, inspired by love, vintage 70s psychedelic soul records, and of course, binge-watching The Eric André Show. “My last project Tipping Point was more slow-paced and ambient, but this one breaks away from that. It’s relaxed, it’s a bit of everything, and I think it’s a really good representation of where I’m at right now creatively. I’m mixing in more acapellas, and obviously Eric André samples, and I think the result is a more funky and upbeat listen. Plus the drums still slap.”
That’s no lie. The EP’s opener “iDonTrustLikeThat” features punchy, FlyLo-inspired drums that break though the mesh of Rhodes chops – and the reverb-soaked audio snippets of Eric Andre buying a car. “2AM,” which is centred around a Miles Davis riff warped through layers of effects, is anchored by percussive clicks, pops and snaps that will bring a satisfied scowl to even the most hardened poker-face. And on “NoiseFlames,“ the noisy, side-chained drums cut through the vintage soul samples to the point where you feel them in your chest. It’s the standout bop in a project chock-full of them. While Pronto only runs for eight minutes, it still showcases Altru’s ever-evolving sense of groove and that his eclectic, collage-esque approach to producing yields some truly inimitable results.
Although Elsinga’s EP dropped quietly in the final days of 2018, we’re just taking it in now, and it’s not one you should miss.
