Mura Masa Reinvents Himself With Colorful Third Album, ‘demon time’
One of the UK’s most multi-faceted artists, Mura Masa has never failed to impress with his diverse musical output and unmatched creativity. A tastemaker who always manages to innovate and push himself outside of his comfort zone, Mura Masa is a master at curating memorable moments, and his third studio album demon time proves just that.
Mura Masa's explosive rise to prominence was fuelled by his 2014 instrumental-driven mixtape Soundtrack To A Death and 2015’s Someday Somewhere. His self-titled commercial debut in 2017 saw him combine the quirky melodies and subtle electronic influences of his early projects with high-profile features from the likes of A$AP Rocky, Charli XCX, Nao and Gorrilaz’s Damon Albarn, leading to a plethora of iconic radio and streaming hits such as “Love$ick” and “Firefly.” The forward-thinking artist would then go on to revamp his identity by looking inwards with his 2020 sophomore album R.Y.C., opting for a pensive, guitar-driven sound, which in a weird way would almost predict pop punk’s imminent resurgence into the mainstream over the next two years.
Now, Mura Masa is reinventing himself once again with his third full-length play, this time curating an incredibly carefree, fun and vibrant experience. From its eclectic cast of features, to the 26-year-old artist’s bold stylistic choices throughout the album’s promotional materials, it’s clear that demon time might arguably be Mura Masa’s most momentous release to date.
Taking inspiration from UK garage, drill, hyperpop, and even future bass, demon time is an amalgamation of Mura Masa’s diverse musical influences, all laced with sonic and lyrical choices that make for a plethora of ear-grabbing moments.
New York’s BAYLI nicely introduces listeners to demon time with her sultry performance on the homonymous intro track, while Mura Masa’s explosive hyperpop production perfectly complements Tohji and Midas the Jagaban’s heavily-autotuned voices on “slomo.” Distorted and extravagant, “up all week” features close collaborator slowthai, and arguably marks the project’s hardest-hitting track. “prada (I like it)” with LEILAH and “e-motions” with Erika de Casier, on the other hand, provide infectious yet laid-back dance moments.
While demon time gives listeners lots to explore with these exciting new additions, its teaser singles are perfectly reinforced within the tracklist. “bbycakes" with Lil Uzi Vert, PinkPantheress and Shygirl, which samples UK group 3 Of A Kind’s 2004 garage hit “Baby Cakes,” makes for one of the most memorable moments on the project, while the intoxicating production on “blessing me” nicely supports UK rapper Pa Salieu and Jamaican artist Skillibeng as they bounce off each other.
Varying in musical styles yet incredibly focused in its themes and direction, demon time doesn’t overstay its welcome with a runtime of 30 minutes over 11 tracks. Mura Masa never fails to look towards the future with his creative output, while encompassing the cultural zeitgeist of the present in a way very few artists can.