Richard Autry is the pseudonym of Washington DC turned Nagoya, Japan modern
disco / soul / electronic artist Modern Humanist. He released his debut album Nagoya in
2012 and that's available for free on Autry's bandcamp. Autry describes his work as
80s influenced electronic and disco, it's not hard to see how he's self-described
his sound. With the 10s already producing quality R&B artists, it won't be
long till a worldwide following of nostalgic instrumentation makes a comeback,
and Modern Humanist is no different to the funk loving sounds of Ariel Pink's
Haunted Graffiti. Sure, different genres and different setup's, but the deep
underlining influences are similar. Before releasing Nogoya, Modern Humanist
released an EP titled Kill Yall Later in 2011. It’s the kind of music
that you would expect to hear on the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack.
Sometimes music should be left where it is, and 80s dance music is one of the
periods, or movements, that separate the lovers from the haters. Modern
Humanist is obviously a fan of the 80s dance, the electronic movement that
followed and modern R&B from artists like Frank Ocean, who also puts nostalgia
at the heart of his sound.
"Daze" was released in January and represents the growing
influences on Autry. 80s dance has been matched by modern electronica and soul
/ R&B of James Blake and co. The vocals have been heavily effected and work
with the aggressive and gritty synthesizer that rips through the track. This is
very much an electronic track in the style of Jamie Lidell. Autry has
his sound outlined in "Daze". It's a deeper, heavier and darker track
than anything on his debut Nogoya. We will see how Modern Humanist
continues to develop in 2013 as the R&B artists of USA and Europe make
their final push on the mainstream. This genre of music is consistently
evolving, and Modern Humanist will evolve with it.
~Eddie
