Austin’s ESC (Elliot Cheng) has just released his rather brilliant debut EP, Reminders, a colourful mix between the recent Nile Rodgers led Chic revival and smoother R&B a la Frank Ocean.
So it skirts precariously close to cheesy, yet it’s the intelligent songwriting that allows it to do so, without becoming unbearably sickly sweet. Whilst the production may not quite match up to the work of the aforementioned Rodgers, the ideas and melodies (Call Your Phone and Only One especially.) are definitely there. Check out a couple of highlights below, including a Kanye West rework, and grab the full EP over at Bandcamp.