Exclusive Release: Kumail’s Serene New Track ‘Bottom Feeder’
The Mumbai-based producer experiments with hip-hop grooves and vocals on latest single
Kumail takes a brave leap on “Bottom Feeder” by introducing hip-hop and funk to his signature dreamy synth. Photo: Rema Chaudhary
While Mumbai-based producer Kumail Hamid is known for diving deep into the ambient space, he plans to follow-up Links (his 2016 debut album) with a brand new adventure. “I feel like I’ve just become bored of that,” says Kumail about ambient music. He still loves listening to it, but he wants to try something different on his upcoming untitled EP. “This [single] is sort of like an introduction to the sound that I’m working on,” he explains about “Bottom Feeder,” adding that it is the first track of more to come. “I’ve been writing a lot of music of late.”
Album artwork for “Bottom Feeder” by Madhav ‘deadtheduck’ Nair.
Kumail takes a brave leap on “Bottom Feeder” by introducing hip-hop and funk to his signature dreamy synth and adding more of his own vocals in slow, echoing bursts. “I’m leaning more towards a hip-hop space and I started playing the drums recently so I’m bringing a lot more groove into it,” he says about the subtle twists in this reinvention. He adds, “I’ve also become comfortable with my voice so I’ve been trying to sing more.”  Filled with intricate details and brief moments of discord, “Bottom Feeder” is mastered by producer Shawn Hatfield, who previously worked on electro-funk duo Madboy/Mink’s All Ball and Union Farm EPs as well as Brazilian electronic music producer Amon Tobin’s releases.
While Kumail is eager to talk about the music, he is extremely reluctant to share the meaning behind the mysterious track. “I don’t want to say what the song is about,” he says with a laugh, adding that it’s safer to let listeners interpret it in their own way.
The currently-untitled third EP is scheduled for a February 2017 release with his indie electronic label Knowmad Records (founded by Mumbai musician Aazin Printer earlier this year). It’s the start of a new chapter. “I’m pretty stuck on this,” the producer says about developing his new sound. “I’m going to explore this for a while and see where it takes me.”
Listen to Kumail’s “Bottom Feeder”
