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Hear Airbird’s Full Mariah Carey-Sampling ‘Romance Layers’ EP

Airbird

With Ford and Lopatin, Joel Ford earned a rep for playful, sci-fi tinged dream beats. Under his solo guise of Airbird, he cuts through the haze to deliver deep disco-damaged grooves with a touch of computer funk and trill — just a hair — thrown in for good measure. Oh, and Mariah Carey.

The ’90s R&B queen and upcoming American Idol judge’s “Prisoner” is sampled blatantly and beautifully on “Free Mind,” a standout cut from the Romance Layers EP we’re streaming below. Ford utilized a new technological loophole dubbed Legitmix to record the song.

In fact, each of this set’s four songs offers a reconstruction of something borrowed. “Your Love is Gone” pulls from Basia’s “Drunk On Love,” while “Long Lake” samples “The Continent” by Steve Roach, and “Lower Magalloway” pays tribute to “Mac Man” by Allan Holdsworth. Check out the colorful electronic tuneage below.

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