FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Picnictyme and The Outfit, TX's "Been A Minute" Will Take You Back in Time and Forward Simultaneously

Dallas's finest connect on a fresh-sounding neo-soul nostalgia trip.

When I talked to the guys of The Outfit, TX about the Dallas music scene earlier this year, they were quick to point to both the city's stubborn sense of tradition and its weirder, more experimental attitude, highlighting Erykah Badu as the quintessential embodiment of the city's attitude. Picnictyme, the multi-faceted Dallas producer and singer who brought The Outfit, TX on board for his latest song, fits right in that vein, perfectly hitting an off-kilter, nostalgic neo-soul vibe. That he would fall into this mold is not wholly surprising, since Picnictyme is also a member of Erykah's band The Cannabinoids and half of the hip-hop production duo Booty Fade.

Advertisement

"Been A Minute" is a loose track from Picnictyme's Sirens series, which will conist of releases leading up to Picnictyme's spring 2015 solo LP, Sea Monsters. It's a pretty song, as well as a great reminder of how contemporary neo-soul sounds right now—or perhaps how to make the genre slightly more contemporary. Over a prominent drum break and synths that oscillate underneath, Picnictyme offers some drawn-out, slow-burning falsetto straight out of the D'Angelo playbook. Picnictyme is a solid singer, but he also shows his production chops as he lets the track build up to the rap portions to drop in Jayhawk's vocals and later lets Dorian's voice simmer. It's a crisp, effortless take, which is perfect for this sort of crisp, comforting song. Check it out below, along with some pictures of The Outfit, TX and Picnictyme in the studio together.