New school reggae/dancehall fusion artiste Tessellated is looking to heat up the airwaves heading into the summer months with his latest offering, Contact.
A smooth, roots-reggae track with a palpable jazz swing on the baseline, Contact sees the artiste singjaying about a memorable first encounter with a special lady.
“Contact is about a woman who is so special that from the first time you meet her, she is in your head non-stop,” explained Tessellated who burst onto the scene in 2017 with his bona fide Caribbean hit Pine & Ginger.
Teaming up with frequent collaborators, up-and-coming production duo Circa Eleven – Phillip and Mark Myers they co -produced Contact. This comes after the duo contributed to several songs on Tessellated’s debut project Tropics Vol. 1.
Tessellated has high expectations for Contact. “About two months ago I was in the studio with Circa Eleven and I asked Phillip if he wanted to try playing new guitars on the track because I wasn’t feeling the ones I had. I stepped outside for about 30 minutes to get some food and when I came back he had fully reworked the guitars & bass. As soon as I heard it, I was like, yes this is it. Sometimes other people bring a different perspective that’s needed.”
Contact is set to drop on all platforms on Thursday, June 9, with a colourful self-directed visualizer to accompany. Shot as one continuous take, the video shows the artiste interacting with an intriguing cast of characters while walking along a picturesque path in the hills of Jamaica.
“The concept was something I came up with a little while back. I feel like so many videos feel the need to be extremely topical and it leads to us seeing the same thing over and over again. I wanted the video to have its own narrative along with some comical relief, without being too directly tied into the lyrics of the song. To me, it adds a layer where the video itself is a piece of art separate from the song rather than just something to go along with it,” said Tessellated, who is no stranger to working with visuals. In 2019, he collaborated with tech company Apple on an ad using jazz/dancehall/hip-hop fusion song I Learnt Some Jazz Today which went on to earn Tessellated an Emmy Nomination in the category of Outstanding Commercial & a #1 on the Billboard Jazz charts.
After releasing his debut EP, Tropics Vol.1, Tessellated says he is focused on consistently putting out impactful songs to expand his catalog as well as creating unique & forward thinking visuals to accompany them.
Alongside his career as a solo artist, Tessellated continues to chart a successful path as a producer, having his work featured on a number of hit records with artistes such as Jada Kingdom and Walshy Fire of Major Lazer. Most recently, his co-productions with Shaggy on dancehall superstar Spice’s album 10 earned him a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Reggae Album.
