The new pairing of Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes released their debut collaborative album ‘What Kinda Music’ this week and, in a good way, it is exactly what you would expect from the two highly talented musicians. A multi-instrumentalist, Tom Misch’s musical development from his Soundcloud ‘Beat Tape 1’ days has exhibited his wide repertoire, going from hip-hop beats to disco to jazz with a DIY aesthetic. Dayes, on the other hand, is predominantly a jazz drummer, studying under Miles Davis’ collaborator Billy Cobham. He has, however, incorporated many other genres into his work, such as afrobeat, 70s funk and UK grime. Both have extensive production work and it is very telling on this album, as the pair bring the best qualities out of each other. Together, the duo complement each other superbly – the ying to the other’s yang – as Misch takes on stringed instruments such as guitar and violin, while Dayes crafts rhythmically complex drum beats and percussion to accompany.

The pair manage to bring structure and fluidity in perfectly equal balance. Much of the album feels like a cinematic soundtrack, using the instruments and solos to evolve the songs and keep the listener on the edge of their seat. However, there is a feeling of structure throughout that keeps the direction of the album moving. The opening titular track does this beautifully, evoking the emotion of a journey that becomes personified in the song’s music video. Songs like the incredibly smooth ‘Nightrider’, or the upbeat ‘Last 100’, exhibit the duo’s songwriting ability, but are counter-balanced with long musical jams that display Misch and Dayes’ chemistry on tracks such as ‘Lift Off’ or ‘Kyiv’. The hip-hop influence on Misch is still clear to hear, shown by an unexpected but fantastic Freddie Gibbs feature and a looped, chopped vocal sample on ‘The Real’.

These two accomplish something that is so rarely heard in modern music; enjoying experimenting with a friend. Whilst some of the songs are built for airplay, so many songs sound like they were formed simply from messing around in the studio. They bring the listener into the music with them, ebbing and flowing on a journey of various sounds and emotions that paints a sonic picture. Misch and Dayes bring live performance back to its roots and, whilst the production and engineering on this album sounds impeccable, the foundation of the album is to enjoy playing music.