From the majestic landscape of NW Arkansas, known as much for its diverse music scene as its natural wonders, producer Brady Cagle (aka Flintwick) returns with the release of Lurching. This four-track gem showcases Flintwick’s characteristic glitch-hop style burgeoning into new terrain while maintaining the playful flare, wonky slips, surprising grooves, and unique sound bites that give his music its trademark style.
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Lurching is Flintwick’s first EP since 2021’s Squandered, but don’t think this funky feline has been loafing in the sun. The last three years have seen Flintwick on bills all around the country, with a sold-out headlining event last year at Denver’s Meow Wolf, as well as the release of mind-melting singles like “Conundrum” and “Jungle Syrup.”
In addition to the Flintwick project, Cagle plays keys in the prog-funk band Deep Seequence and collaborates with producer LuSiD as one half of multi-instrumental/electronic project Acid Katz. Last year, we were gifted with the debut release from Acid Katz, an adventurous 12-track album recounting the psychedelic entanglements of two outlaws in a comic story outlined by both producers.
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Since then, Flintwick has been hard at work in the studio on his most recent project. Featuring album art by Matik, Lurching is Flintwick’s dive into the realm of “main stage” music, “focusing the experimentalism in the sounds themselves rather than the composition,” and it is indeed full of experimentation, loaded with a bevy of random sound bites like cat meows, water droplets, Flintwick himself shrieking like a monkey, and an exploratory range of modular synth.
“For this EP I really wanted to go for a more heavy-weight sound while still retaining the experimental sound design and glitchy tropes that my fans expect. I’ve never been one to focus as much on bangin’ drums and chunkier grooves that typically appeal more to a larger audience than past styles I’ve released, so I figured this would be my first attempt at dipping my toes in that water. I also wanted to finally showcase other sides of my production that I’ve never released, such as my first collaboration released with a vocalist and a drum and bass track that has been absolutely destroying dance floors. This project as a whole feels the closest I’ve come to achieving my initial idea of what I wanted Flintwick to always sound like, so it’s quite a meaningful step in my journey to finally release these.” -Brady Cagle, Flintwick
What’s Inside
The title track, “Lurching,” starts off with glitchy neurohop full of carnivalesque banter that sets fans to instant boogie mode. With the evolution of a slinky desert vibe, the song seems to soothe and dismantle the mind at once as it settles back and reemerges full force, swaggering to its conclusion. The style of motion is in effect with listeners already acclimated to the bounce of its grooves.
The second track, “Late Checkout” (we all know the kind of nights that lead to those!), launches into a different kind of lurch, with deep low end bass, echoic coyote yips, and warped vocal samples. You can picture the walls dissolving to the world outside and the patterns of the hotel carpet heaving like you’re in a novel by Hunter S. Thompson. Slipping into funky organ riffs and ripping back to a classic glitch banger, this track is sure to make you lurch around the room.
“Facade,” the EP’s third track, marks Flintwick’s first vocal collaboration. Featuring fellow Arkansawyer and songwriter/producer Yongi on vocals, it is at once sultry, ominous, chunky, and thought-provoking. It starts with an eerie synth build-up before developing its bounce and diving into the opening lyrics: “It must be hard to keep up with that same facade.”
Throughout the song, Yongi sings in a variety of styles that emulate the voices in one’s head. One has to wonder whether she’s talking to someone outside herself or asking us to break down our own facades and approach the world honest and real.
“Facade” is also notable for its feature of mandolin, which was the first instrument Cagle learned yet rarely makes an appearance in his production. Coupled with Yongi’s vocals, the mandolin parts give the effect of an Arabic belly dance before breaking into slurpy bass layered with picks and plucks. Landing soft and buoyant, this track will keep your head nodding long after it comes to a close.
“Muck,” the final track, is another first for Flintwick: drum and bass. Opening with ethereal strings in a digital drizzle, the track picks up into liquidy DnB and barrels seamlessly through hyperspace with classic Flintwick twists. There are skitter scatters and pitter patters sure to set the room on fire. Layered throughout with a comforting weave of synth textures, sensual vocal samples, and diabolical bass dribbles, this is a roller coaster you’ll want to hop on again and again.
Within the heart of every song, listeners find themselves thinking, “This must be the ‘lurching’ he got the title from,” only to find this figurative movement is a thread achieved in each track with its own distinctive tone. Give Lurching a front-to-back listen on SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or your favorite streaming service today.
What’s Next
With the release of this EP, Flintwick is entering festival season in full swing with dates all over the country, including Sound Haven, OHM on the Range, and Astronox.
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One event you will not want to miss is Backwoods Music Festival in his home state of AR, where he will be playing two sets this year, including the first ever Flintwick sunrise set. This is sure to be a magical event. If you can’t make it there, be sure to catch him at one of the other dates listed below. Speaking from experience, you do not want to pass up the chance to see this cat live.
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