- A bland release from two acts capable of much more.
- Charisma goes a long way in dance music, which helps explain why Tiga remains one of the scene's biggest names. There's something perfect about a collaboration between him and The Martinez Brothers, a similarly charismatic duo who specialise in ultra-taut grooves. But the acts lean too heavily on their trademarks for their first collaborative release, which sounds so rote and predictable that it could have been created by AI that studied their discographies.
Blessed Part 1 sounds like a record that was made out of obligation rather than inspiration among artists. On all four-tracks, Tiga raps half-heartedly over undercooked house beats, with pitch-shifting that seems to exist only to mask his boredom. Take "Cleopatra." The lyrics barely make sense, and Tiga doesn't sound like he's having any fun saying them. He's more animated on "Blessed (Dirty Mix)," where he intones "I woke up blessed / Now you can get dressed," a one-night-stand narrative that recalls the sexpot days of electroclash-era Tiga. But that music had a sense of humour. This would be smutty if it weren't so bland.
The EP has one moment of inspiration in "Late Night," where Tiga's vocal is chopped over a satisfying tech house groove. But then there's the inexplicable "Aphex N Girls," which sounds like a sped-up version of "Blessed" with better drums but worse vocals. Nothing here showcases Tiga's rock star chutzpah or The Martinez Brothers' mastery of groove. Tiga's appeal is in his charisma and the Brothers' in their lean funkiness. Both are absent.
TracklistA1 Blessed (Dirty Mix)
A2 Aphex N Girls
B1 Cleopatra
B2 Late Nite