Phantom Posse – “Changing” (Feat. Makonnen & Yohuna)
Next month, the New York-bred collective Phantom Posse are releasing a new album, Forever Underground. Last month we heard “It’s All You” from it, which featured Vagabon’s Laetitia Tamko and GABI, and today we’re getting “Changing,” which features the unlikely combination of Makonnen and Yohuna. Makonnen has been a longtime affiliate of Phantom Posse, since even before his “Tuesday” days, and Yohuna’s last album, Mirroring, was produced by the collective’s leader Eric Littmann.
“Changing” is a weary and meditative stumble about losing touch with old friends as the world moves too fast. “You keep changing on me,” Makonnen sings in resigned exasperation on the hook, backed up by Yohuna. “Things just ain’t been the same/ last few months I’ve felt so much pain,” he sings. “Old friends don’t even know my name/ Tell me how did we even get this way?”
Littmann explained how the track came together in a statement to The Fader:
I had made some magic mushroom tea that evening and Makonnen and I have always worked really fast together… he put down a few chords and before I could finish shaping up the groove he already had all the lyrics and song structure ready to record. We tracked everything in my bedroom. A couple of weeks later I was working on the mix, adding little details here and there when Yohuna, who’s bedroom was next to mine, came home after a night out with friends around midnight. She poked her head into my room and was like ‘I have an idea for a counter melody!’ and we recorded her vocal then and there.
Listen below.
Forever Underground is out 3/20 via Orchid Tapes.