It was likely only a matter of time until Kamasi Washington and André 3000 teamed up. After all, André has spent the last half-decade wandering around playing woodwinds and Washington is one of the foremost big-band jazz revivalists working in music today. Sure enough, they’ve released their first collaboration, “Dream State,” complete with a well-suited, avant-garde music video. The track’s actually long enough that YouTube imposes its obnoxious ads on it before the first movement is even over, but the conversation between the two artists’ chosen instruments — sax and flute — is hypnotically engaging enough to make it worth sitting through a Fiji tourism commercial. Hell, I’d even pay for Premium (if I didn’t already have it and write it off on my taxes).
The song is from Washington’s upcoming album, Fearless Movement, which is out on May 3. In the album announcement press release, Kamasi calls it his “dance album,” elaborating, “It’s not literal. Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music—expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.” The project was partially inspired by the birth of his daughter, and will also feature appearances from BJ The Chicago Kid, Coast Contra, DJ Battlecat, D-Smoke, George Clinton, and of course, frequent collaborators Terrace Martin and Thundercat.
Check out the video for “Dream State” above.
Fearless Movement Tracklist
01. “Lesanu”
02. “Asha The First” Feat. Thundercat & Taj Austin, Ras Austin of Coast Contra
03. “Computer Love” Feat. Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman
04. “The Visionary” Feat. Terrace Martin
05. “Get Lit” Feat. George Clinton, D Smoke
06. “Dream State” Feat. André 3000
07. “Together” Feat. BJ the Chicago Kid
08. “The Garden Path”
09. “Interstellar Peace” (The Last Stance)
10. “Road to Self (KO)”
11. “Lines in the Sand”
12. “Prologue”
