Zo! & Tall Black Guy - Abstractions (2021) Hi Res

One of the tracks most susceptible to repeat play on +FE Music: The Reworks was Tall Black Guy's remix of Zo!'s "This Could Be the Night," so it's no wonder that the comprehensively collaborative Abstractions has the same effect. Zo! and Tall Black Guy are compatible not only on an aesthetic level. Students of classic soul, funk, and hip-hop, they made names for themselves as beatmakers and have developed into multi-dimensional musicians, specialists in nuanced songs emphasis on songs that soothe and uplift. Also, they're from the same area; Zo! hails from Metro Detroit, while TBG grew up on the east side of the city proper. Though they no longer reside anywhere near Detroit, their common ground informs Abstractions, a brief LP colored with Motor City references and collaborators. Most overt is "The Ride," bumping Midwest funk with Sy Smith's staccato hook and Zo!'s talkbox interjections in support of no-nonsense travel guides Black Milk and Elzhi. The whirling "Northland" (as in the historic Northland Center), one of a few purposeful interludes, features the motivating voice of a Detroit legend and DJ Dez (aka Andrés) on percussion and turntable cuts. That said, the set is not defined by geography, and the guest vocalists/co-writers, from Detroit house veteran Diviniti to U.K. soul heavyweight Omar, are no less varied than those of any previous Zo! or TBG release. Three of the songs are among the duo's best solo work. "Hold My Hand" brings together Phonte and Foreign Exchange affiliates Darien Brockington and Muhsinah for a rolling romantic bliss-out. "Talkin' to Myself" is a jilted midtempo jam fronted with effervescence by BeMyFiasco. And then there's "Connected," an impeccably crafted dancefloor celebration of togetherness led by Josh Milan, whose mighty Blaze were once on Motown.