Producer Sterling Scott, a.k.a. Sterfry, stormed out of the gate with his album, Kitchen, this past July. The album is constructed from experimental jazz colliding against an electronic cascade of sound. Kitchen is a particular gem that shimmers with uncommon oddities sprinkled all over. Sterfry meticulously created an unforgettable electronic album that fuses jazz, hip-hop, trance and lo-fi into exotic soundscapes.
Sterfry’s fusion electronica sounds a lot like Tipper’s articulate style paired with Flying Lotus’ cosmic jazz, while staying true to his own unique recipes. It’s easy to get lost in the crazy progression of the album. The melodies are all over the place. Choruses are nowhere to be found, with the exception of “Avalanche.” Rhythmically, there is a lot of scattered variance. This is a predominantly instrumental album without defined musical boundaries. A dash of open-mindedness goes a long way.
Sterfry doesn’t follow any conventional styles as he throws listeners down a dark corridor and hides the key. From the start, “Nightcrawler” knocks us off guard with a wild blend of dissonant saxophone and an earful of fuzzy synth. Sterfry is a fresh upcomer, but his growing group of followers are quickly catching on to his low-end trickery. Kick drums fire left and right. Mountains of bass swell. Obscure sounds are found wedged in odd places. Fragments of free-form jazz fly sporadically.
Kitchen is wild and untamable, which tends to make it barely comprehensible at times. It might deter casual music fans away from listening to it regularly, as the album probably falls in the experimental category. However, Sterfry’s ability to navigate through his complex arrangements is astounding, and his sense of timing and superb mixing skills make every track fluid.
Sterfry holsters an impressive cache of instrumental sounds during the journey; the hectic and unpredictable samples used here range from saxophone to electric violin. Kitchen probably isn’t for everyone. Some tracks fight too hard against the grain to please everyone; “Noodle Party” is a tough track to follow. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught of sound.
The album features a few other artists including Sterling’s sister, Sunshine Scott, who makes an appearance on the last track, “Avalanche.” Her expertly modulated vocals on the track are an unexpectedly attractive complement to Sterfry’s messy sound design. The contrast between clarity and chaos couldn’t be sweeter. Sterfry also brought a small circle of collaborative producers along for the ride. Antihero, Dillon Combs, Bloopr and Ray Palousek all deserve praise for helping Sterfry bring Kitchen alive.
Kitchen flowers into an otherworldly, transformative presentation of Sterfry’s next-level composition skills. This vibrant piece of work is a landmark album with quality sound design and sonic precision.
Kitchen is available to purchase and download at sterfry.bandcamp.com.
