Artist

Deem Spencer

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Pain & the people around me, Deem Spencer's new LP on art-forward label drink sum wtr finds him at his best above sharp & vibrant instrumentation, reaching across genres for redemption, heartfirst and with crystalline precision. “This album is the clearest I've ever sounded. The clearest I've ever executed my vision” he says “I feel realized as an artist. I'm a fan of mine all over again.”

The refreshing, uncomplicated sound of Pain & the people around me starts with Deem’s chance encounter with producer Elie Bashkow at a local smoke shop. “This was completely out of the ordinary for both of us. For one, Elie doesn't usually smoke, and I don't usually speak to strangers...we always say that something outside of us brought us together. We chopped it up, found out that we both make music, and agreed to link.” Sessions were split between Elie’s Brooklyn studio and Deem’s house, and the music came together quickly. Deem had brought an album’s worth of material but abandoned it all after their first experiment together. “I realized that I needed to take advantage of the fresh energy; I just knew we needed to explore that.”

Pain & the people around me is filled with such contrasts, drawing power from vulnerability. Deem’s always been good at this mode, where abstraction meets introspection, but here he’s unlocked his most direct means to deliver the message. It’s a cloud parting, culminating sound, a rightful reintroduction from one of contemporary hip hop’s most distinct minds.

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