19-year-old producer and songwriter, Mura Masa is the latest up and coming artist to play at the recently reopened and renamed Patterns. He gets the name from the infamous Japanese sword-smith Muramasa Sengo, and his music has that genuine craftsmanship that his alias’ inspiration was known for. His real name in fact is Alex Crossan, and this Guernsey born beatsmith has managed to find the perfect mix of delicate rhythms which slice through colossal baselines, which has gathered him an ever-growing online following and great support for his 2015 album, Someday Somewhere.
His combination of electronic and R&B sounds make for an intriguing combination which much unlike many other artists in this genre, doesn’t become repetitive. To accomplish such an eclectic array of tracks using such a variety of instruments by 19-years-old is undoubtedly astonishing. Crossan has recently teamed up with BBC Sound of 2015 nominated Shura for a new single, ‘Love For That’, with Mura Masa’s best track yet where Shura’s captivating vocals pierce through the oriental inspired beats.
After having released such a strong body of material already, it’s a surprise that Mura Masa isn’t more of a well known name but considering he is at a very early stage in his career, it would be fair to say you should keep your eyes sharply on this young star.
Monday 19th October at Patterns
Ralph Palmer