Description
Portland-based artist Kevin Palmer, known for his experimental approach to constructing and deconstructing head-nodding beats, is back with a new release under his project Best Available Technology (BAT). Previously featured on cassette, BAT’s trademark sound is a fusion of hazy ambience and catchy rhythms.
Drawing inspiration from hip hop pioneers like Hank Shocklee, BDP, and KDAY, Palmer spent his early years scouring pawn shops for samplers. This obsession led him to create raw and unpolished tracks, capturing the essence he felt when listening to the dynamic sound collages of early hip hop. While BAT’s music is often associated with nostalgia and melancholy, Palmer takes it a step further, creating his own unique sonic world.
Located on the outskirts of Portland, Palmer’s music reflects an outsider’s perspective, incorporating field recordings from skateparks and surfing trips, offering a personal glimpse into the present moment. His tracks shift the listener’s focus, dangling the familiar beats just out of reach. Palmer’s music becomes a representation of fleeting memories, yet it’s not an ending, but rather a stepping stone towards endless possibilities. Operating beyond traditional genres, BAT’s music hints at elements of dub, hip hop, ambient, and techno, but ultimately defies categorization. It could be described as a fusion of all these genres and yet none of them, or perhaps, as Palmer himself describes it, “sad fucked up funk.”
