Rain + Shine is the new EP release from Tobias Butler ’13, who is returning to producing dance music after a hiatus of nearly five years. His last production credit was on George Watsky’s 2010 mixtape “Guilty Pleasures” (as Procrastination), and he has since played in groups such as garage rockers O Presidente (a Wes band) and the spacey, reserved Helen Mystic, whose new EP Sistine Candles has earned international press and was named one of the best DIY releases of 2015. Read more about Rain + Shine after the jump.
His newest creation is a tornado of riotous tunes that draws from many styles and deeply explores the range of melodies, sounds, and rhythms found throughout dance music.
Born out of recordings found in the record collection he shares with his housemates, Rain + Shine mixes the sounds and energy of disco with the sensibilities of modern electronic music. With record samples spanning three decades and a variety in tempo choices influenced by artists such as DJ Paypal, Daft Punk, and Drexciya, it’s difficult music to categorize but borrows recognizably from the full spectrum of dance music out today—from the radio, to the most obscure house records, and everywhere in between.
The title track starts off with a complex hip-hop beat, but morphs through the song into a bouncin’ house track. “Trust In Me” is a non-stop jam inspired by groups such as Funkadelic as well as Philly and Jersey house. Several of the remixes are by Mia Rossi ’14 (Fresh Heiress) and Daniel Sullivan ’13 (Stairf).