GRAMMY-nominated producer Sam i—whose track ‘Perfect’ had recently been featured in an Apple ad starring Pedro Pascal—and Nashville artist Shmuck the Loyal unveiled the next chapter of their collaborative project TRY: a highly-anticipated, self-titled debut LP, ‘TRY‘, released on April 18th.
The massive 16-track album jumped from one mood to the next, brimming with infectious energy, and featured a wildly impressive roster of collaborators. One of these collaborators was rapper RZA, also known as the de facto leader of the iconic hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. Their sublime track, ‘The Art of Listening’, came with a visualiser, released on Wednesday, which could be viewed online.
There was also the incredible ‘Lay It Down’ with DreamDoll and British rapper JAY1, the certified surefire hit ‘Fire Sign’ (with Mikky Ekko), the epic ‘Rather’ with Bipolar Sunshine, the deep and enchanting ‘Break Me Open’ with RY X—accompanied by a music video made by leveraging practical effects alongside emerging AI tech, featuring experimental director, model, and visual artist Krotchy. There was the highly danceable ‘With Me (feat. Empress Of) – Club Redux’, d’n’b madness on ‘What You Need’, hazy R&B on ‘End Of Times’, the deeply thought-provoking ‘Silence’ (with Camden + Miette Hope), and the trap-jungle hybrid belter, ‘Hyperspace’. 
Watch ‘Break Me Open’:
Sam and Shmuck had united in 2019. Their debut album came together organically over the years, spanning the sounds of gorgeous 2-step, the clattering bombast of trap, house music’s insistent pulse, and the starry-eyed outlook of synth-pop.
“Every time I sat down with Sam, it was always a blank canvas,” said Shmuck the Loyal about the drive behind the project. “It was always a dynamic and fluid experience.”
TRY, the refreshingly multi-faceted and collaboration-heavy project from Sam i and Shmuck the Loyal, arrived on April 18th, marking the beginning of a huge new era for these two highly talented artists. If you’re in the LA area, don’t forget to catch their upcoming performance at Sunset Boulevard venue El Cid alongside bands Milkblood and Ora The Molecule on 15th May (buy tickets via DICE).
“TRY” LP Tracklist:
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Clarity (with EARTHGANG)
Satchidananda
Silence (with Camden and Miette Hope)
With Me (feat. Empress Of) (Club Redux)
Lay It Down (with DreamDoll and JAY1)
What You Need
The Art of Listening (with RZA)
Rather (with Bipolar Sunshine)
Eye For An Eye (with Mike Floss)
Speechless
Fire Sign (with Mikky Ekko)
End of Times
Hyperspace
Break Me Open (with RY X)
Mirror (with Kota the Friend and cr1tter)
Stream ‘TRY’:
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