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Marlowe mash up the smooth with some snap on ‘Past Life’

Every Monday, “Add of the Week” unveils all the new songs going into the 88Nine on-air playlist, with one hand-picked selection put in the spotlight by a member of our music team.

North Carolina-based Marlowe is a duo made up of producer L’Orange and rapper Solemn Brigham. They just dropped their latest release, Marlowe 3, and it’s fantastic. But the story behind it might be even better.

Incredibly, Marlowe 3 is the first album L’Orange mixed after adjusting to going deaf in his right ear following two ear surgeries. Lead single “Past Life” is a prime example of the pair’s collaboration. It’s full of pep, featuring a sassy horn section that Brigham piles on with plenty of snap and sinew.

The track channels irritation about being an up and comer in the scene, working his way past self and scene-built constructs. “I was in the jungle, hit a vulture with the bait and switch,” Brigham spits, taking control of the game. 

You can listen to “Past Life” below and on 88Nine by tuning your FM dial in Milwaukee or streaming worldwide on our website and mobile app. If you dig the new track, check out the whole album on Bandcamp.

This week’s other adds

  • “Naxos,” Babe Rainbow
  • “Neon Signs,” Suki Waterhouse
  • “Meet Me in the Bottom,” Buffalo Nichols
  • “Timeless,” Ambar Lucid
  • “Two Jobs,” Lee Fields