Thundercat – “King Of The Hill” (Feat. Flying Lotus & BADBADNOTGOOD)
Hank Hill, the protagonist of Mike Judge’s genius animated sitcom King Of The Hill, was extremely narrow in his professional specialization: Namely, he was an expert in “propane and propane accessories.” Thundercat, the LA bass virtuoso who just released his new song “King Of The Hill” with jazzy Toronto hip-hop band BADBADNOTGOOD, is not nearly so restrictive. The guy was in Suicidal Tendencies, and his last album featured both Michael McDonald and Kendrick Lamar. “Funk and funk accessories” doesn’t begin to describe his range.
On this new song, one of the 22 previously unreleased tracks on Brainfeeder’s upcoming 10th anniversary comp, Thundercat and BADBADNOTGOOD explore eerie jazz sounds like something out of a retro horror movie before pivoting to glimmering psychedelic soul. In hallucinatory falsetto, Stephen Bruner puts a new spin on the sound and spirit of last year’s Drunk: “The king of the castle, king of the hill/ Wasting his time chasing cheap thrills/ He knows it’s gonna cost him/ God knows how much.” Flying Lotus produced, so it really is a family affair.
Listen below.
Brainfeeder X is out 11/16. Pre-order it here.