Merry Christmas, from evilgiane.
Merry Christmas from evilgiane, the New York producer who was, for many, the sound of 2023. Beyond producing two of the biggest and most critically-acclaimed tracks of the year with Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem’s ‘The Hillbillies’ and Earl Sweatshirt’s ‘Making The Band (Danity Kane)’, Giane Chenheu has seemingly spent 2023 in a constant, prolific flow state, collaborating with ascendent stars and underground heroes alike, showing up on essential releases from Veeze, BKtherula, RxPapi, 454, Harto Falion, Smoove Dinero, Joeyy and Xaviersobased. As one of the masterminds of the mighty Surf Gang, he has also overseen the collective’s expansion into a full-fledged record label, which this year saw essential releases from the inimitable John Glacier and the unstoppable Snow Strippers.
In short, evilgiane has had an integral role to play with much of the year’s most unmissable music. His tireless approach to casting beat magic draws far and wide. This is evident in the esoteric samples he is famed for building irresistible drill instrumentals around, but his beats touch on everything from Jersey club and grunge to ambient and trance. For his Christmas mixtape for Fact, “inspired by the cold weather,” he curates a selection that brings, in our estimation, the perfect festive vibes while serving as proof of his omnivorous and impeccable tastes.
Whether gliding from Bill Evans Trio to Motown composer-arranger extraordinaire Lamont Dozier, or cutting in vintage Barry White and Miles Davies deep cuts in with obscure gems from Midori Takada’s ’80s ensemble MKWAJU and New Age tape releases, or even folding Inga Copeland’s jaw-dropping ‘Obsession 2’ into stunning soundscapes from two separate Ecco The Dolphin games, courtesy of pioneering VGM composers Spencer Nilsen and Tim Follin, it’s clear that, even during his downtime, Giane’s tuned in to all frequencies, firing on all cylinders. He even finds the time for a sequence of exquisitely chopped reworks of Patrice Rushen, Spaceghostpurrp, Durkalini and Duwap Kaine, officially closing out the checklist of all of Fact’s favourite things. In the words of Giane himself: “Stay warm y’all.”
You can find evilgiane on Instagram, SoundCloud and Bandcamp.
Tracklist:
Bill Evans Trio – ‘Alice in Wonderland (Live at the Village Vanguard)’
Lamont Dozier – ‘Prelude & Rose (1974)’
Barry White – ‘Playing Your Game, Baby (1977)’
Miles Davis – ‘The Ghetto Walk’
Mkwaju Ensemble – ‘Hot Air’
Upper Astral – ‘Higher-Self Rendezvous’
Spencer Nilsen – ‘Aqua Vistas’ (Ecco: Songs Of Time OST)
Inga Copeland – ‘Obsession 2’
Tim Follin – ‘Perils of the Coral Reef – The Great White’ (Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future OST)
Patrice Rushen – ‘Forget Me Nots (12 Inch Version) (Chopped)’
Spaceghostpurrp – ‘SVXK V DICK FXR 2011 (Chopped)’
Durkalini – ‘East Coast P (Prod. Ivcien) (Chopped)’
Duwap Kaine – ‘She Call My Phone (Chopped)’
Listen next: Fact Mix – Toumba
