Steadily pumping out new music before the release of his new LP Ghosts, Ash Riser’s unique second single “Moon Cry” is equal parts J. Dilla and Gary Clark, Jr. Produced by Jawa with assists from Papo and Odd Future’s Mike G, Riser spoke about the record, saying “Jawa is not only an amazing producer, but if it wasn’t for him my album would have sounded like shit. First, my external hard drive wiped, then my laptops were stolen but thankfully, Jawa and I had spent at least 72 hours mixing the records to make them sound as good as humanly possible for a bedroom album. I digress from what I originally planned for this song, as I was just going to do the verses myself and just have Papo for the bridge (and not slowed down like it is now). The song naturally came together one night that myself, Jawa, Papo, Mike G., and a few other homies were just kicking it. Jawa, Papo and I were working on the single and it caught Mike G.’s attention from the other side of the house, he came peeping into my bedroom trying to see what was going on. When I say this was made in one night, I am being serious as the gospel choir you hear at the end with Mike’s verse, was recorded that night too, utilizing my homie Rikki Blu’s life partner (congrats on the child y’all). I’ll never forget that night, the energy and flow between us all was beautiful. This was such a fun song to make. This is my west coast summer love anthem.” – Ash Riser
Ash Riser first came to success with band P!stol P!stol, and ever since their breakup he has been pursuing his own path, meddling in dubstep and allsorts. Despite working with Kendrick Lamar and Ab Soul, his solo career had never really taken off properly—until now. “LDFMN” served as the first single of his LP Ghosts, which is set to release on July 7th. The record gives us a glimpse of what to expect from the forthcoming project, which also features Mike G, OverDoz, and Quentin Miller. The beat to “LDFMN” – though simple in itself – is fairly aggressive and therefore harmonizes well with both Left Brain’s membrane-ripping voice, which both shaped and was shaped by Tyler, The Creator’s Odd Future, and Ash’s rasping yet melodic vocals.
The accompanying VHS-style video, though without the verse or an appearance of fellow accomplice Left Brain, is visually impressive and fits the diction and tone of the record very well. It might, however, leave the viewer a bit puzzled. It seems to be a fictional representation of what Ash experienced in the music industry and his personal life in the last decade, at least to some extent. It does feel like an intro, that suddenly cuts to black before the actual story seems to start. Nonetheless, that type of anticipation might be exactly what the clip, which was shot and produced by Zenith Division, is trying to achieve.
After the tragic loss of his best friend Furoche, Ash tried to refocus and turned back to where he came from musically: rock. This proved to be the missing piece in his own musical puzzle and its influence – alongside electronic music and hip-hop – has been clearly audible on his last extended plays, which he released no less than three of in 2016. “LDFMN” is a taste of what Riser has in store for us in the next couple of months, which might turn out to be the beginning of proper public attention for him, after almost a decade of mainly being known in the scene. So, in short, Ash Riser is one to watch, no matter what sort of music you’re into. – emiliah
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