Dean Blunt / Hype Williams Essentials

Dean Blunt's work, both on his own and as part of Hype Williams (with frequent collaborator Inga Copeland), refuses to sit still. Through his albums and mixtapes released on well-regarded labels like Hyperdub and Hippos In Tanks, Blunt's productions feel like R&B, folk, and downtempo EDM being stitched together and clouded in fog. His work is made even more confounding by his puckish public persona, erratic live performances, and tendency to play down any praise that gets heaped upon him, such as when he sent a random guy to receive the NME's award for promising newcomer in his place.