Written by Kate Peterson
Cheaters – Teengirl Fantasy (Free Download / Buy)
Teengirl Fantasy (@teengirlfantasy), the psych-funk duo that crashed onto the scene in 2009 with their debut LP 7AM, has been back on high rotation on my playlist recently. There’s something about their rich, synth beats that compliment the long spring we’re having – adding a little skip to my step in anticipation of the summer ahead.
The band is made up of Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi, two musicians who met during college orientation at Oberlin. The duo likes reworking old-school classics – the pop, R&B and dance tunes they grew up with – to create modern, hazy sounds. Take for example their biggest hit “Cheaters”, which samples the 70s disco-funk group Love Committee’s “Cheaters Never Win”. They slowed the original uptempo track into something drippy and dreamy, letting the vocals add the necessary soul.
Two bang-up remixes of Teengirl’s “Cheaters” came out this spring, giving the 70s riff an even longer afterlife. One was from Barcelona DJ John Talabot, the other by Beautiful Swimmers. Talabot’s infuses the song with Latin flavor, incorporating drums and a salsa undertone that make you want to hop a plane for Ibiza right this second. The Beautiful Swimmers remix brings the funk, with bongo beats and a rattling noise machine.
“Cheaters” isn’t the only mentionable jam from 7AM, though. The bass-heavy “Four to Floor” spins synth and R&B samples for the perfect poolside affect. My personal favorite, “Dancing in Slow Motion”, with guest vocalist Shannon Funchess, nods to slowdancing in the 80s, but on acid. The official video for the song is gorgeously psychedelic too.
If you want to get your hands on all things Teengirl Fantasy, listen to Das Rascist’s “Commercial”. Teengirl produced the track, providing the dreamy electronic score that Das Rascist spits over. There’s also the duo’s natural mix of Memoryhouse’s “Lately,” a slowed down version that oozes, gurgles, drips and chirps.
Weiss and Takahashi packed their bags for Amsterdam to study abroad at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie back in 2009 and have used the opportunity to tour throughout Europe. They’re scheduled to play in Austria, Croatia and Italy next week, and will be back in North America on June 22nd for the Sled Island Festival in Calgary. Hopefully they’ll be hitting the States soon, just in time for some summer shows.
