South Africa’s Alan Abrahams—nom de danse Portable—first wrapped his native country’s rhythms in the synthetic textures of Chicago house around the turn of the century, and since his 2003 debut Cycling, he’s driven that mix deeper and deeper. On “Closer,” from this year’s semi-self-titled Alan Abrahams, he pulls back on the throttle, delivering a slower, moodier jam reminiscent of his 2014 classic “Surrender.” His rich baritone luxuriates in the beats, moving over it the way caramel melts around a cake, until even the polyrhythmic clack of percussion is subdued.
The video, which we’re premiering this morning, finds similarly moody moments in Tokyo, Shanghai, and the Andes mountains. “I wanted to juxtapose these different environs of congested cities versus the freedoms of natural open space,” Abrahams says. “And [highlight] the notion that [we], as a human race, are now living in cities more than ever before, and yet feelings of alienation and loneliness persist.”
You can check out the video below.
Alan Abrahams is out now on !K7.
