Dusted with elements of psychedelia, compounded by ethereal sonic landscapes and catapulted by melodic rhyme schemes, Boutique Feelings (Montréal, CA) invites reflection on socio-political norms while offering an alternative take on hip-hop.
Most commonly known as the singer, guitar and synthesizer player for the progressive psych rock collective, Atsuko Chiba, Karim Lakhdar continues to challenge genre classification by weaving together components from hip-hop, krautrock and electroacoustic music in his new project, Boutique Feelings. Subverting traditional compositional techniques, he explores themes of cultural and personal identity through vivid offbeat storytelling and catchy distortion-mangled hooks. Lakhdar notes that “the genesis of the project stems from a love for Hip-Hop, with influences ranging from OutKast and Madlib to Kim Gordon and Gorillaz”. As a result, the music toes the line between rap, psychedelic funk, trip-hop and sample-based music.
Boutique Feelings’ third single, “I.Y.W.M.”, is out now via Mothland, completing the Montréal rapper-producer’s introductory self-titled EP.