The Field Tapes To Release Lo-Fi/Chillhop Collaboration EP with Ezzy (Out November 19); Listen To “early afternoon’ Here
September 17, 2021 BY Nettwerk
NY-based producer, songwriter, and beatsmith Kyle McEvoy has dabbled in all sorts of music as a touring artist and records prolifically under the artist name The Field Tapes, having gained a strong foothold in the larger lo-fi beats community.
On November 19, the Nettwerk Records EP – love is a shadow – is meant as something of a thematic companion to the 2020 LP Loving Someone You Lost—and it also brings back McEvoy’s collaborator Ezzy (a.k.a. Zach Erickson), the producer and multi-instrumentalist who worked with McEvoy on the collaborative 2020 EP Mood Ring. “Zach’s one of those people you meet and just instantly click with,” McEvoy says.
Working in his Sonder House studio in Woodstock, McEvoy recorded various track ideas, playing guitar, keys, and bass. He then sent the stems to Ezzy, who added more full production & beats and stitched them together from his Los Angeles pool-house studio. (“It went from a shack in the woods to a shack by the beach,” McEvoy jokes.) The whole seven-song set—a hazy, hypnotic blanket of good vibes—was made in just two days.
Last month, they shared “late may,” an arrangement inspired by the end of Spring when it’s finally beginning to turn to Summer. Today, they return with “early afternoon,” a 2-minute track cut with nature samples, ambient style chill guitar, and a slowly descending bass line. McEvoy had this to say about the track, “this is a bit nostalgic beat to capture the feeling of early afternoon, around noon time when you realize there’s still enough time in the day to get after the things you need to do and make the most out of your day.”
Deeply entrenched in the lo-fi scene, McEvoy has spent years doing A&R for lo-fi hip hop/jazzy hip hop YouTube channel Chillhop Music, helping to establish artists like Aviino, Ezzy, and G. Mills. In addition, he built a catalog of 200+ songs featuring artists like The Album Leaf, Shigeto, Bad Snacks, tender Spring, Yutaka Hiraska, Park Bird & more. Based in Woodstock, NY, McEvoy puts together weeklong songwriting camps called “The Sonder Hop,” bringing together 30 of the biggest lo-fi artists from around the world. From these sessions, McEvoy has collaborated and released music with Idealism, Brock Berrigan, Philanthrope & pop artists like SYML, Wilderado, Peter Cottondale, Michael Christmas & more.
“Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of artists; there’s so much passion about the music we make. It’s not just about beats. It’s about building a community of artists through events/festivals, songwriting camps, and musical collaborations. It feels good to be a part of that. It’s been humbling, to say the least,” says McEvoy.
“early afternoon” is available at all digital retailers HERE: https://thefieldtapes.ffm.to/loveisashadowep.
