Since staking out on a solo tip outside of Thievery Corporation, genuine progenitors in the trip-hop space, Eric Hilton hasn’t wasted any time in making his mark. Delivering four albums in just under a decade, with three of them coming in the pandemic span from 2020 to 2021, the Washington D.C. producer is now gearing up for his fourth solo effort, uniting a mix of old collaborators and new. One such instance comes with the project’s lead single, “Je Ne T’Aime Plus,” featuring French language vocals over his trademark soundscapes.
A Switch To French Language Fits Eric Hilton Like A Glove
For those unfamiliar with Hilton or his Thievery Corporation output, you can clock the general territory they parlay in from the opening moments of this release, capitalizing on woozy bass that goes toe-to-toe with more household names like Massive Attack. For those with tastes that gravitate towards the slower-developing side of electronic music, this should be right up your alley; “Je Ne T’Aime Plus” relishes more in capturing emotion than delivering punchy or hooky moments.
To that end, the breathy French vocals over top create a tie to the history of French downtempo outfits like Air, especially prescient given the half-electronic, half-analog atmosphere that permeates this track. It’s equal parts synth work and instrumental, creating highlights with both beachy guitar lines and computerized SFX in the song’s back half. More than anything, it’s a testament to Hilton’s mastery, sounding just as comfortable in hashing out a retro air as he was crafting the sound to begin with.
As mentioned above, there’s plenty of material to parse through in anticipation of the next Eric Hilton record, Midnight Ragas, expected out on June 20th. You can catch the producer’s backlog wherever you stream your music, available alongside his work as a part of Thievery Corporation.
Elsewhere in our coverage, check out our spotlight on another brooding piece of electronic music with Leon Vynehall – TEARS4ALOVER.
