FADER PREMIERE
Like the genie called from his bottle, true magic can be summoned up by rubbing two different voices together. "Dance of the Illusion," a collaboration between Brooklyn producer Rioux and Trinidadian saxophonist and theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander, is such an example. (Side-note: from now on I'm only blogging about songs by scientists.) Singing is actually a new thing for Alexander, who is usually found doing stuff like giving a TED Talk on the physics of jazz, yet his round Trinidadian lilt plays off Rioux's Hot Chip-ish vocal to deeply satisfying effect. I just want to be the person that I am in my mind, bemoans Rioux on the chorus. Dance to the illusion when you don't know what to do, counters Alexander on the verse. Musically, it's as rich and lush as a garden after a proper tropical downpour, with Alexander's sax dancing through a cornucopia of beats and colorful tones—and the best bit is there's a whole album of their jazzy, synth-pop collaborations, titled Here Comes Now, and it's coming out on Rioux's Connect label on August 8th. Watch the "Dance of the Illusion" video above and download the song below. Plus, if you're in NYC, you can catch them at Le Bain at The Standard on June 16th.