Chris Burns and Gavin Holland, formerly known as Party Bros.
Released two years ago, Party Bros.’ single “Malcolm X Park” told a mostly invented but plausible story about the illicit pleasures found after sundown in the hills and dark stairways of D.C.’s famous urban park. The 12-inch was the first on Mysteries of the Mind, a label founded by D.C. DJs and producers Gavin Holland and Chris Burns. Now, the duo is back with a new EP that features a bouncy and considerably less tongue-in-cheek track, “Aracari,” released under the name M.O.T.M.
It might feel too early in the year for exotic bird calls, but “Aracari” brings them in bulk. The glossy, tropical tune stirs up a balmy atmosphere that feels like, well, Malcolm X Park circa August—damp, a little heavy-lidded, and worthy of copious wicking material. Airy vocals—courtesy of a singer simply named Jane—top off the rainforest vibe.
“It’s been a long pause since the first release, but we have plans for more frequent releases for this year,” writes Holland in an email, adding that the pair recently fetched a vinyl and digital distributor that should give them more visibility.
“While we’re still producing everything electronically, the studio we work in has been completely revamped in the last year and we’re using more hardware than before to create sounds and ambiance,” Holland writes. “Everything is also being processed and mixed through a 30-channel analog summing console, which definitely has helped warm up our sounds and given a lift to the stereophonic width of our music.”
The record’s three-part flip side offers a different energy—which was intentional, Holland says. “For the B-side, we wanted to showcase something completely contrasting…to the A-side, hence the slower, heavier and darker tunes.” “Partial Victory” toys with dancehall influences; the slow-footed and spaced-out “Sloppy Seconds” sounds like Quaaludes. “Soft Focus,” meanwhile, seems to borrow its ideas from “Miami Vice”—it’s not quite tropical, but steeped in urban fantasy. This is music for dark nights and white blazers.
“Aracari” is available on vinyl now and digitally in June.