Vancouver based bass duo Pigeon Hole have been absolutely tearing up the experimental realms of electronic music for the past 2 years, but they weren’t always frequenters of the wubs. Before 2011, Leo Napthine and Colin McCue started off their careers as members of the hip hop collective Sweatshop Union, a fellow Canadian-based group that prided itself on showcasing up and coming talent. Summer 2011 would be a major turning point for the duo though, as they decide to cut ties with Sweatshop Union after falling in love with the music and culture that surrounded the bass music festivals that they attended that year. 2 years later we saw their first major release through Urbnet Records, their Chimp Blood EP, which put on full display their roots as hip-hop lyricists mixed with their newfound talent and love for outside-the-box beats.
Fast-forward to 2019, and the group has had major releases on Wakaan, Outer Realms, Gravitas, and Sleeveless Records, just to name a few. Their first single of the year was part of the stellar Saturated Warriors compilation album between Saturate and Sleeveless Records, and now hot off the presses is their self-published single ‘Wide Eyed’. The song begins with an airy, alien sounding extended synth that sounds like the death star is warming up its death cannon, and then right before you expect a reality-shattering bassline to occur, you get hit with a saucy hip-hop sample of “I don’t give a fuck about”. It’s clear what they don’t give a fuck about, and its following trends that other people set. Their commitment to finding and honing their own unique sound is palpable throughout this piece, as they majestically blend their hip hop roots with their current love for sound experimentation. Sprinkling vocal samples throughout gives major energy boosts to this song and adds multitudes of style. The second drop is an absolute slapper that really rounds out the overall progression of the song, fully fleshing out the thickness of the layering.
With only two songs out so far in 2019, and with both being absolutely massive, fans are left eagerly waiting for what comes next from this supremely talented combo.
Check out ‘Wide Eyed’ for yourself below!
