Art-rap mainstay and self-proclaimed poet laureate of his living room Rhys Langston, alongside space-funk provisioners Pioneer 11, have unveiled “On My Own.” The track is the second single from their forthcoming collaborative project, To Operate This System. The album will arrive July 26 via POW Recordings.
“On My Own,” which was preceded by single “Amber Deception,” is a head-nodding bruiser equally indebted to the slowed-down trip of chopped ’n’ screwed, the wheezing synths of G-funk classics, and early-’90s R&B. The combination of Langston and Pioneer 11 is a perfect fit, with Langston pushing his impressive verbal dexterity closer toward the cosmos as the synth-rock duo add some bedroom rap elements to the instrumental (which all three helped produce).
Regarding the track, the trio shares: “This song about orbiting one’s own self-assurance and becoming one’s own psychedelic drug is the second single off our forthcoming record. However, in the chronology of our collaborative work, and in the actual album’s tracklist, it is a special and auspicious first entry. The first time we connected to make music together, we jammed and recorded all the instrumental elements of ‘On My Own.’ We all contributed elements to the drum programming, while Bryan and Alex of Pioneer 11 took up their guitar and bass, and Rhys Langston manned a synth.
“Soon after, COVID-19 locked everything down, and Rhys had the files to do some arrangement and melody and lyric writing. When we finally met up in person, we consolidated the full arrangement, with Bryan and Alex embellishing their parts, and Rhys giving the final vocal recording. We then realized our inaugural attempt at a collaboration was—and still might be—one of the best songs we could have made individually. Truly, the fruits of collaboration.”
Check out the track below.
