Wino Willy and _thesmoothcat came onto our radar recently, and we were thoroughly impressed with their latest offering Ready, Set. A 10 song set of astral, dusty tracks that create psychedelic, airy soundscapes paired with sleek, forthright rhyming, Ready, Set presents a strong offering from these Louisiana artists. Ready, Set shimmers with a warm sheen that adds to the record’s mystique, with character-rich layers enhanced by both Wino Willy and _thesmoothcat’s contributions. They exhibit a natural chemistry that shines through on the LP, as _thesmoothcat’s laid-back yet confident flows cohesively match Willy’s thought-provoking, hypnotic instrumentation. The engaging, poignant grooves of highlight song “OFFTOP” provide an apt backdrop for _thesmoothcat’s dynamic flows, as the pair find a focused balance of sonics elements. “I LIKE”‘s eclectic feel and hints of futurism give it much character and immerse the listener with its surreal feel- while the duo show a potent rapport with Wakai on the graceful “HAND EYE”, equipped with mind-bending grooves. Closer “SAY MY NAME” introduces a different sound with its trap-laced sonics, and raw bars from _thesmoothcat, making for a refreshing finish to Ready, Set.
In late 2020, beat-maker/producer Charles Corpening (Wino Willy) took a gig mixing a live- stream for a mural dedication in New Orleans featuring a performance by _thesmoothcat (Josh Henderson) & 9th Life. Corpening was so moved by their sound that he captured the raw audio on the spot and began flipping it as soon as he got home. The levity and joy in the streets that he heard in Josh’s music in contrast to the darkness of the times conjured feelings of his youth in Philadelphia and the cultural similarities across both cities. Shortly after, he reached out to Josh and the collaboration that led to Ready, Set was born. Concurrently, Corpening learned that he would be a father for the first time – an auspicious beginning for multiple new endeavors.
Josh gave Charles a CD that he played in the car constantly with his daughter in utero. As she grew, so did the music. Inspired by Josh’s plethora of influences and the soulful viscosity of organ and keyboard jams heard at night on WWOZ radio. Corpening approached his process and fatherhood with a fresh perspective, trading electronic drums for live ones and even composing some of the beats in the hospital during his daughter’s birth. Notwithstanding the wrath of life in the city, some of the equipment he used to make the sounds on the record were destroyed in Hurricane Ida, Thankfully much of the tracking was completed.
For Henderson, the collaboration has the excitement of that new car feeling, conveyed on the album’s first track “Brand New”, but as the title, Ready Set suggests these 10 tracks just begin to scratch the surface of what’s to come from _thesmoothcat and Wino Willy.
Support the artists directly on BandCamp HERE.
Listen to Ready, Set on Spotify here:
Watch the video for “OFFTOP” here:
Connect with _thesmoothcat: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter
Connect with Wino Willy: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter
