Photay

Waking Hours, Photay’s 2nd full-length, released in June 2020 on Mexican Summer, is an album in search of calm. Flavored with pop sentiment and featuring Photay’s (Evan Shornstein) own vocals prominently, the album represents a big step outside the producer’s comfort zone. Two standout tracks include the singles “Warmth in the Coldest Acre”, a woozy, Auto-tuned, ethereal compositional exploration and the bold, electro funk banger “The People” also featuring Shornstein’s now familiar sassy vocal refrain, “Are you doin it for the people? Or are ya tryna just hide away?”.

For Waking Hours: Remixed, NY producer AceMo reimagines “Warmth in the Coldest Acre” with an urgent four on the floor beat, intensifying both the mood and energy of the track.

Ensemble Entendu (the collaborative project of Astro Nautico co-founder and co-owner Sam O.B. (f.k.a. Obey City) and Photay) take the components of “The People” and spin out a track of space age Jazz Funk complete with an Expansions-esque triangle intro, sweeping strings and a divine chord progression. By the time the brass kicks in the dancefloor will be at breaking point!

UK quartet, Penya, add their own percussion-driven take to “The People”, with a pounding beat, reverb drenched brass and an added vocal line that works alongside the original refrain that builds to a synergistic call and response vocal crescendo.