James Hinton aka The Range is releasing his new album Mercury in June, and today he shares the new single “Urethane”. As heard on previous single “Bicameral”, the producer’s new work is influenced by his move from Brooklyn to rural Vermont. On “Urethane” he samples “Ice Rink” by UK grime artist MIK, and he explains how that inspired him:
“The lyrics ‘last year man got left in the dark – cause man didn’t really have nothing to say’ hit me hard as I was feeling pretty left out and forgotten. I had moved from the thick of it in Brooklyn to rural Vermont, and in late winter 2019 and I felt like I had a mutually agreed upon separation from the world. Those lyrics were defiant to me and I liked that as a way of fighting back against that feeling.”
“Urethane” begins as a slow-motion floater, as if we’re in a balloon floating over the greenery of Vermont, taking in its unquanitifiable beauty – but there’s also a tone of solemnity in there that reflects the isolation. The brash “Ice Rink” sample cuts through the peace, but also works surprisingly harmoniously with the song’s tone; MIK’s delivery might at first seem full of arrogance, but there’s definitely regret and hurt in there too. By combining it with his subtly detailed soundscape and clever beats, The Range has managed to pull the silvery threads of doubt and defiance out of the sample and string them all through “Urethane”, making it into a beguiling beauty.
“Urethane” comes packaged with an animated video by Stevie Gee and Essy May. Watch that below or find the song on streaming platforms.
The Range’s new album Mercury is out on June 10 through Domino (pre-order/save). You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
