Brolin – FLAGS Mixtape

Producer and vocalist Brolin warms up for his dsbut album, expected later this year, with a mixtape that sees him collaborating with, remixing, bring remixed by and re-purposing tracks by Dam Mantle, Raffertie, Sinkane, Hannes Rasmus and others. It's a satisfying showcase for his talents behind the desk and on the mix, and bodes well for the album.

Falling comfortably into the alt.R'n'B genre alongside the likes of How To Dress Well and Twin Shadow with his gently melancholic vocals, the mixtape format of FLAGS gives Brolin the opportunity to explore some experimental sonic territory, adding a gentle refrain to Dam Mantle's Canterbury Pt. 1 on Inspectre; riding a loose, dub-heavy tech house beat on the FTSE-produced El Santos with a smooth neo-soul vocal; and most memorably, dripping ethereal melodies over Raffertie's tough-edged electro breakbeat number Flags Are Burning.