I don’t normally blog about digital-only releases. Is that pretentious? I don’t know. I’m Gen X, so I still crave “owning” my media on physical formats, and I have a bunch of Kallax shelving to prove it. While I stream a ton of Spotify, I still buy a significant amount of records, CDs, and cassettes, and even some other more esoteric formats. I wouldn’t say that I’m an addict, but I do sometimes worry it’s becoming a problem and wonder if I need to shore up the floor framing in the room that holds all my records.
But every so often something comes on my radar and I feel compelled to write about it even though there is no physical release. And that happened last week when a woman named Charlotte who I follow on Instagram (@charlottes_records) posted about Cooper T. I mean, just look at them. How could I not check them out?
I needed to know more. Why the dodgy ski masks? Who is their tailor? And what the fuck happened to their shirts? Inquiring minds want to know, so I wandered on over to YouTube and played the video for “Original”. And then I played it again. And again. And then I texted the link to some friends, and sent it via Teams to people at work. If there is one word that everyone seemed to agree on it was compelling. You have to watch. You’re unable to turn away, like you’re seeing a traffic accident, or a cool dog, or a sign that says doubles are only $2 extra.
Cooper T are the duo of Kong and TMNMS, producers who hail from Manchester, a city known for music, soccer, and convincing Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx that Communism was a really good idea. Their style is… well… what is their style? The attitude is punk. The basslines, those are post-punk. The vocal delivery alternates between spoken word, hip hop, and singing. Add some beats, synths, and lyrics that are hard and witty, put it all in the blender, and what comes out has a kind of gritty chic, like that rainbow sheen you’ll see when there is some fuel in a puddle when the light catches it just right.
Think I wanna listen to you,
Skinny looped up little bitch cake?
You live two hours out the city,
Why do you talk like you’re from round here mate?
— “Original”
The five-song EP Sapiens came out last August, and the mix of styles and vibes make it hard to believe these tracks are all from the same artist, though the vocals give us a throughline, a North Star to keep us grounded. Every song gives us something different. “Original” hits like a hip hop jam, fronting and braggadocious, an anthem that makes you want to slap your chest as you repeat the refrain, I’m original. “Put It All” brings the 80s style dark synths, the vocals drenched in reverb over the top of icy, angular beats. The melancholy intro to “Back Then” gives way to modulated soul-like vocals, a strange juxtaposition of adult contemporary and darkwave. “Gettin’ In the Way” is a modern take on classic Mancunian punk, all simple guitar chords and attitude (Because I’ve been there / Done that / I’ve got the t-shirt / To match the hat), bouncy and edgy. Oh, and if you wanted a little dose of dub reggae to cleanse your palette, you’ve got it with the closer “Outside Looking In (feat. EVABEE)”
Oh, and let’s not forget about the videos.
Cooper T is what I’ve been wanting without actually being able to articulate it, that itch that I just couldn’t seem to scratch until I watched the video for “Original”. And now I’m all in. They have the attitude, but they also have fun. Give Sapiens a listen on Bandcamp HERE, as well as on the various streaming services.