Steven Julien

Modern electro phenom Steven Julien (aka. Funkineven) marks a beaming detour with his new EP 'Time/Wraap't'. The producer has never really attempted anything much like this before, fusing unpeggable trap heavies, house offhands, and plummy G-funk, touring a squeakily oiled, cyborg pan-Africa.

The front cover reflects a metanoiac conversion of Julien's style, which features him posing in a seductive left lateral position; collabs with James Massiah, Yung Ethernet and Fatima go on to help cinch his status as an object of desire, around whom an inexhaustible stream of in-demand artists flurry. But despite the cadre, it's the closing solo 'LIL'BIT' that really grabs us; the track is an ultra-wonky outsider, where in an alien vocal mix, pitch-warped questions are asked, and immediately met with noncommittal "think so"s.