For LA-based producer Venessa Michaels, the past is an invaluable template for looking toward the future.
Nostalgia is at the core of her self-coined ‘2090’ genre, a retro-futuristic sound that blends various forms of club music with Y2K-inspired hip-hop and pop.
Michaels has nurtured this style for years, leading to collaborations with J.Worra, Lil Texas, and Kaleena Zanders; touring slots with NIKI, Raury, 6lack, Party Favor, and Krewella; performances at festivals such as Coachella, Splash House, and Camp Flog Gnaw; and the creation of the theme song for the DreamWorks Netflix show KIPO and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
Now, Venessa Michaels is expanding her sphere even further as she gears up to release her debut LP, ‘Sent From Saturn’ – a full-length project that promises to exhilarate listeners with a lavish mix of house, pop, tech-house, breakbeat, and more.
Listeners can get their first taste of Sent From Saturn with the album’s lead single, “Spirit On Mine,” a soulful-club collaboration with genre-bending singer/songwriter Luck. “Spirit On Mine” is Venessa Michaels’ first release in over a year, and continues the fruitful creative partnership between her and Luck, following collaborations such as “Moment Forever,” as well as multiple tracks together on Luck’s It Wasn’t Luck EP.
“Spirit On Mine” kicks off with ethereal synth pads and a groovy bassline before introducing Luck’s delicate, atmospheric vocals. The track then incorporates lush harmonies and infectious snaps, transporting listeners back to the world of early 2000s R&B.
But “Spirit On Mine” isn’t a mere retread of past eras: the track builds with a wave of kaleidoscopic guitar lines and immersive risers before dropping into a future garage instrumental blended with a four-on-the-floor house beat.
Deep, pulsating basslines run smoothly within the pockets of the syncopated drum patterns. A cocoon of guitars and pitch-modulated vocal samples surround Luck’s mesmerizing central melody. On “Spirit On Mine,” the track’s many elements combine into a transcendental listening experience, offering a glimpse into Venessa Michaels’ singular creative mind with rich sonic detail.
“Spirit On Mine” releases alongside a spellbinding music video directed by JREAMS that acts as an acute expression of the song. With minimalist visuals emphasizing the artists’ closeness and bond, the video resembles abstract art as they post as one through different bodies.
Fans can catch “Spirit On Mine” and other ‘Sent From Saturn’ songs when Venessa Michaels plays the next Los Angeles Long Story Short party on Thursday, October 27.
