Brooklyn bred artist Rothstein has collaborated with the dynamic duo known as Deadmall in what sounds like a sonic melding of the music in ways that give the listener a sublime groove and an audible kick in the feels with their eponymous EP, released today. The combination works brilliantly within the three tracks as a psychedelic introspection takes each track into that special creative space located just outside the box but still within reach. Brilliant!
About Deadmall + Rothstein
Deadmall + Rothstein is the first of a series of collaborative projects between Rothstein and Deadmall. Rothstein, a Boston-born, Brooklyn-based artist, primarily draws influence from hip-hop and R&B, describing himself as “what would happen if Raymond Carver wrote pop songs on trap beats” and “Jackson Browne’s at-risk nephew”. Deadmall is a bedroom pop duo from Western Massachusetts, consisting of Gabe Gill and Honeyfitz. Rothstein describes Gabe as “a little more Soundcloud” and Honeyfitz as “a little more Bandcamp” and are two of his closest friends in the world.
Seemingly at opposite ends of the musical spectrum, Deadmall and Rothstein’s penchant for deeply introspective songwriting is what makes them such a delightful pairing sonically. None of the three songs on the EP conform to traditional pop song structures, bucking choruses, instead of trading verses over refined, guitar-oriented production. The trio tackle emotionally-fraught subject matter on the EP, nakedly spilling their deepest insecurities and regrets on wax, a soundtrack for those in the throes of loneliness.
@rothwho [rotatingtweets screen_name=’rothwho’]Deadmall + Rothstein was created in the span of one weekend in Gabe and Honeyfitz’s old show house in Hadley, MA. The boys dropped a lot of acids together and holed up in Honeyfitz’s room, making a series of achingly personal songs about heartbreak and isolation, vivid portraits of the rural lives the Deadmall boys were living in and the cold, foreboding cityscapes Roth has come to call home. Rothstein calls his verse on you loved me back then “the best thing I’ve ever written”, and this project “my favorite thing I’ve worked on to date”.
Boston singer, songwriter and rapper Rothstein describes his work as “what might happen if Raymond Carver wrote pop songs on trap beats”.
In under two years, Rothstein’s self-released catalog has amassed over 6m streams on Spotify alone. Since his breakout single “Get Your Shit Together” charted on the US Viral 50, Rothstein’s work has earned coveted global editorial placements on New Music Friday, Mellow Bars, Chill Vibes, Rap Nation, and Midnight Chill, among others.
His debut EP HIGH WATER boasts production from the likes of Grammy nominee NOVE (6LACK “Prblems:) and hometown ace-in-the-hole Tee WaTT (Mac Miller, Cousin Stizz), and has earned sync placements on the CW DC Comics-inspired TV show Black Lighting.
Rothstein draws inspiration from a diverse array of musical and literary contemporaries and forebears, ranging from Future to Carl Thomas to Donald Fagen and Stephen Sondheim. He distills these influences into his incisive songwriting – pairing soles balladry with relatable pop melodies and dazzling hip-hop lyricism.
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