Los Angeles rapper/producer Jonwayne has garnered a good deal of buzz within the SoCal beat community over the past few months, and next week will see the release of the producer’s first proper full-length, Bowser (artwork above). Yes, that’s right, Jonwayne has chosen to name his newest LP after the legendary antagonist from the Mario Brothers series, and maybe not just for nostalgia purposes; it’s also as a nod to the chosen fidelity of the majority of the producer’s sound sources—8-bit. Nestled a little before midway into the video-game homage of an LP is “Crumbled Luna,” which begins with a slightly off-kilter arpeggio that somehow teeters between blissful and menacing while tiny drums skitter below. Then come the chords; swelling, lush, and vibrant, they evoke a sense of drama that’s not easy to come by within the sonic realm of outdated microchips, and yet it’s a realm which Wayne seems to walk through with a confident, concentrated swagger. “Crumbled Luna,” along with Bowser‘s 18 other 8-bit opuses, can be heard in full when the LP is released April 19.

Crumbled Luna