Until now, 23-year-old Kumail Hamid’s sound has largely been reflective of early days—self-discovery, more direct influences and a largely ‘downtempo’ sound. If ‘February,’ the introductory single to his upcoming EP, is any indication though, the young producer has found footing in an entirely different setting. Subtle influences of hip-hop and beats from an array of LA beat-makers and bands have found their way into his sound, and having recently picked up a drum kit, Kumail admits there has been “an unintentional addition of groove to this release,” too.

The EP itself (scheduled for release on the 22nd of this month) has a theme, even if it’s not audibly visible—the downfall of some of the relationships he has been in. “I had just been through a breakup, so I thought I’d revisit all of them and write about them,” he says. “Addressing all of it was something I had never done before. It was something new to explore, which also gave birth to a new sound.” In case you’re worried this might be inching its way into a more melancholic space, fret not. In truth, this track has an elementary happy groove to it. It’s not because all his breakups have been super smooth either, it’s just that “the underlying sadness that spreads throughout the EP,” rather than concentrating itself in a single spot. “It’s how I would describe my emotional state at the time,” he says simply. Along with a silent promise of one day getting this on vinyl, Kumail hopes this EP will take him to Magnetic Fields 2017, and Sonar Festival 2018. Till then, you’d better get familiar with this.

Watch the teaser video for ‘February’ here.

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