Chasing the Golden Hour Pt.3

In the ever-growing era of electronic music, there are many genres and subgenres that catch people’s attention: dubstep, house, and techno to name a few. Between all the synthesizers and deep bass, electronic music loses some subtle nuances that make music, music. A self-described master of “future funk,” GRiZ touches on all corners of electronic music (www.mynameisgriz.com/about). From house to dubstep to funk, he can do it all while playing smooth, sexy saxophone. With his newest mixtape, Chasing The Golden Hour, Pt. 3, GRiZ has done it again, melding live instruments like saxophone and guitar, with the synthetically created sounds that define the overarching genre of EDM.

Grant Kwiecinski, better known as GRiZ, is a 30-year-old DJ and producer hailing from Southfield, Michigan. Growing up, he had healthy servings of funk, hip-hop, and dance music. He attended Michigan State University, where he was introduced to DJing and producing, eventually trading in the classroom for the dance floor for good.

His first step toward gaining popularity was in 2012 with his second album, Mad Liberation, which included glitch hop vibes mixed with electronic sounds. After this release, he continued to drop multiple albums, singles, and EP’s throughout the years. In 2019, he released his hit album Ride Waves, which incorporated hip-hop, pop, and dance music along with classic GRiZ funk. Since then, GRiZ has been focusing his energies on his five-part dubstep EP series known as Bangers.Zip. His most recent release is the third part of a coveted series of EP’s known as Chasing The Golden Hour.

The first edition of Chasing the Golden Hour was released in 2015, followed by part two in 2017. In the midst of the quarantine-ridden summer of 2020, GRiZ brought the feeling of soft sand and warm sun to the ears of his listeners through nine new tracks in Chasing The Golden Hour Pt. 3. Opening with a spoken word poem written and vocalized by GRiZ himself, the soothing thoughts of the inner workings of the artist call on us to think about our place in the universe. Know Time Like The Present is recited over a light, airy background of soothing bells and keys, building with tension until it finally drops into the bass and sax-accompanied music that original GRiZ fans know and love.

On an Instagram Live GRiZ said Know Time Like The Present was the second song finished for the EP. He said the spoken word poem is about just being and “not trying to try to live, and just living,” as showcased by this verse:

The more you try the less you be and the less you see,
let go
and you become the universe.
See you don’t need anything when
you
the universe
is everything (Kwiecinski).

GRiZ explained how he was inspired to make this piece after an LSD trip he took during quarantine and conversations with his friends; he said this piece is representative of the way that he feels about living life right now (Kwiecinski).

According to GRiZ, Chasing The Golden Hour is designed “to recreate the carefree good vibes you feel when it’s just about sunset on the perfect summer evening and everything is the most beautiful shimmering tint of gold. Chasing The Golden Hour is that magical moment, it is the cool breeze against your back, it is sweet summer swagger in music form” (Chasing The Golden Hour Pt. 1). From its beginnings, this series has been designed only to bring the sweet reminiscent feelings of summer to his listeners and fans. GRiZ’s step back from producing dubstep to complete this EP reminds fans of the heart and soul of true GRiZ style, and his intentions with his music.

A fan favorite from the EP, but a potential downfall, takes a page straight out of Flumes playbook. Floating grabs the soul, taking it on a spaceship ride through the most smile-inducing summer memories you’d forgotten about. Mixed with GRiZ’s iconic future funk sound, this song is more of a remix of Sleepless by Flume than an original since it includes the same echo-esq intro and far away vocals. Upon first listen, my immediate reaction was confusion as to why this was labeled an original, rather than a remix. The biggest difference is that the original by Flume is quite metallic and harsh sounding when compared to GRiZ’s version. GRiZ managed to smooth things out and induce the feelings of being one with the universe by using gentle whistling sounds and softer vocals, while keeping the beat the same. Although GRiZ is known for sampling quite a bit and was open about it on the EP, it almost seems like he was trying to take credit for a beat that isn’t his own since he did not mention where the samples came from. Despite this, it’s still a song worth listening to.

Another fan favorite, coming in with over half a million plays, is Sweet. Reminiscent of Tame Impala, this song creates a dreamy, otherworldly feeling using resounding bells, uplifting vocals, deep guitar, and strong, smooth, sexy saxophone that steals the show. GRiZ gives his listeners the feeling of a glowing smile and meaningful hug through his lyrics: “Don’t you know your sweet, and I like it.” Being one of the bright lights in the EDM world, GRiZ wants the best for everyone and never lets his listeners forget it through his meaningful, uplifting lyrics.

Chasing The Golden Hour Pt. 3 taps back into the sounds that day one GRiZ fans came to love. By inducing the feeling of a warm setting sun while smiling ear to ear with those you love, GRiZ continues to show his fans just how valuable life is and how much they matter. In a world that currently feels hopeless and dreary, GRiZ carries us all into the brightness of the sun, enlightening us as to just how much good there is in the world. If you need an emotional pick-me-up, definitely give this EP a listen, along with parts one and two.