premiere: gianni lee makes sound his canvas on his debut, “gas”

Just when you thought you had AFROPUNK fave Gianni Lee figured out he pops up with yet another surprise. This time the fine artist/fashion designer/DJ goes from playing the music to producing it with his new track “Gas”, a collab between Lee and fellow Philly-based talent Andrea Valle.

On the track, Valle, who recently released her Lovergirl EP, sings about a new love worthy of her devotion and affection. Valle’s dulcet vocals are complemented by the track’s soothing, water drop kalimba plucking, dramatic synths, and rumbling 808 beat—a combination of masculine and feminine energies. According to Lee, that balance is intentional:

“I think healthy collaboration between strong Black women and strong Black men is needed. I believe this release speaks to that, it speaks to friendship, it speaks to the idea of heroism and standing up for what we believe in. The release and the artwork scream AFROFUTURISM and the continued spread of its message and aesthetic in my artwork and everything that I touch. I’m a big afrofuturist.”