Dean Blunt Quietly Releases 'Give me a moment'

Written by Emma Killeen

Dean Blunt, known originally for his experimental duo, Hype Williams with Inga Copeland, has been releasing music for more than a decade. Once the group split, Blunt continued his solo career taking the lo-fi and sample-heavy sound to new levels. His raw and nostalgic approach to production and lyricalism has notably set him apart from other artists in the industry. As a black man living in London, his music is an ode to black musical nostalgia with modern subject matter like police conflict, drug use, and clubbing to show his experience living in inner-city London. His most popular album to date, Black Metal, showcases his musical direction through the use of frequent Patwa narration, an English-based creole language with West African influences, and archival sampling like Viviaan Withers' song “Hangin’ On,” in “PUNK”. 

Continuing his legacy of melancholic hypnagogic pop, on January 29th, Blunt gave away his new EP, Give Me a Moment. The quiet release on his label Word Music’s Instagram right away suggested these five songs were going to be extremely intimate. In order, “Over Him”, “NOLA Freestyle”, “donna air”, CK1, and “Rinsed” are all guided by his seemingly sincere voice, over familiar atmospheric guitar ballads. In comparison to his last EP, Freestyles (SS22), this release feels more precise and genuine, even if it was released on a basic internet file transfer. It's extremely minimalistic, both vocally and instrumentally, allowing the listener to feel the impact of lyrics from the first track, “Over Him”. “The time we spent together meant alot; now it's time for us to part, it's got to stop.” Right off the bat, the listener is prepared to live vicariously through Blunt during a heart-breaking time period as we listen to the guitar coda of “Pretty Girls Make Graves” by the Smiths. There are signs of self reflection on this EP, seen on the last track “Rinsed,” “Don't be sorry for me, don't call it sympathy; because I know, so I'll go.” This release serves as an emotional vent as he is mourning a special person and time in his life, despite some of his actions maybe being the catalyst for it.  

Give me a moment is the stepping stool from ZUSHI to a newer era of Dean Blunt from which we can still expect the rawness but with more intention. This EP redeems this era for him after his last EP release, throwing him into a new direction while still staying true to who he is as a boundary pushing musician. There is uninhibited emotion that's held in each of these songs, even if the release comes in at just under eight minutes. Give Me a Moment gives hope to a new album underway, one that's even more successful and genius than Black Metal. The honesty Blunt is showing his listeners reminds us why he is considered one of the best artists working in music, in and outside of London's music scene.