Pan Amsterdam – KIMCHI (Feat.GUTS)

Pan Amsterdam, aka rapper and trumpeter Leron Thomas, teams up with French producer GUTS for “KIMCHI”, a standalone single released five years after their last collaboration “Carrot Cake”. Thomas released his latest album “Confines” on Heavenly Recordings earlier this year.

“My last project was great and heavy so I felt like being a bit lighter if you want me to be honest,” Thomas says. “Tension and release I guess, this is also the 5-year anniversary of ‘Carrot Cake’ with Guts on the beat. So here’s a hat tip to that as well from GUTS and I.”

The single pairs Thomas’s wordplay with GUTS’s soulful, groove-heavy production. A bass-driven hip-hop beat holds everything together, while Thomas’s vocals sit comfortably in the mix. GUTS keeps the production clean and mellow, letting the groove do the work without overcomplicating things. Both artists wanted to release tension and create something relaxed, and they succeeded. It’s hip-hop that draws on jazz without forcing the connection.

Pan Amsterdam completed a UK tour this summer, including a sold-out show at London’s Jazz Café. He returns to the UK in November for another run of shows, including an appearance at Pitchfork Festival.