There are many things in this world that just go together perfectly; a milkshake and fries, a shower and an athlete, or a lack of environmental awareness and the subsequently accelerated heat-death of the planet.
In any case, among these combos include the cross-Canada posse of Victoria-based electronica duo Liinks, Toronto-based hip-hop artist Kayo Halifax guitarist Sparkee, and the duo who brought them all together; Nova Scotian EDM darlings PINEO & LOEB. These four talents have combined their efforts into the delicious result that is “Free,” an upbeat blend of the four styles at play.
All four artists, none of whom are strangers to collaborating with PINEO & LOEB, manage to shine brightly without hogging the spotlight in the duo’s latest, but the first thing listeners will notice is the dynamic vocal style of Georgia Murray, the lyrical half of Liinks; whether she’s flexing her lyrics with a rhythmic twist or opting for something a little more onomatopoeic, Murray’s presence is impossible to overlook or overstate.
Kayo and Sparkee are both given their own moments to shine, with Kayo spotlighting on the bridge of the track and Sparkee playing us out. Kayo leaps into your headphones at the halfway mark, putting a delightful hip-hop/reggae spin into the track. Kayo’s unmistakable style fits the vibe and instrumentation of the tune perfectly, deftly cementing his contribution as one of the track’s best moments. “One of,” meaning plural.
The other runtime-relative highlight goes to Sparkee, who received a shoutout from international EDM powerhouse deadmau5 back in 2018. Opting for the guitar that has seen many a shred, Sparkee plays us out with a deliciously high-energy, brimming riff, making for one of the most satisfying endings I’ve ever seen out of a tune. And of course, it wouldn’t be a PINEO & LOEB tune without PINEO & LOEB.
The sheer amount of talent buzzing about in this track is perfectly held together and expanded upon by the duo’s near-perfect dance beats, big bursts of noise during pivotal points in the chorus, and a trumpet section that completes the happy-go-lucky vibe of the track.
“It’s a really cool song because it’s a P&L original that features Liinks, Kayo and Sparkee on the guitar. All people we’ve worked with before, coming together for this really positive uplifting song. We slowly pieced it together from different sessions with each of them,” says Mitchell Pineo.
“It’s kind of a spiritual successor to ‘Circles‘ since it’s a summery song with a horn section and Kayo. We took what we loved about ‘Circles’ and tried to take it to another level with Liinks’ amazing vocals and Sparkee’s big guitar solo. There’s a nod to that at the very end with Kayos reference to ‘Pacifico’. It was really fun putting together.”
If the Atlantic-Canadian music scene were a cinematic universe, the artists behind “Free” would surely be the Avengers. Between Liinks’ lyrics, Kayo’s cadence, Sparkee’s shreds, and PINEO & LOEB to pin it all down, it’s impossible for the result to be anything less than terrific.