Glass Animals return with the first single release in three years, ‘Tokyo Drifting’

Led by singer and songwriter Dave Bayley, Glass Animals is a name that’s been on everyone’s lips at some point. British psychedelic act first broke onto the international music scene in 2010. However, the four-piece wasn’t exactly a household name until their 2014 Platinum single, “Gooey,” which was followed by their critically-acclaimed second studio LP, How to Be a Human. Now, the group is back after nearly three years out of the spotlight.

The powerhouse quartet has only recently released “Tokyo Drifting” as part of their experimental collaboration series, Fresh Fruit. The series previously boasted 2015’s “Lose Control” with Joey Bada$$. Now, known rapper/hip-hop artist Denzel Curry joins the cause.

The band’s frontman, Bayley, who wrote and self-produced most of their first two albums, had the following to say on writing the tune:

“It’s an ironic internal flex—me as a narrator describing/taking the piss out of an extreme alter ego version of myself; a version of me that can do things that I’m uncomfortable doing,” stated Bayley in a press release.

“Tokyo Drifting” plays out a lot like an experimentally weighty composition that straddles the electronic, hip-hop, and indie worlds. Playful and effortless, track dons robust horns, a commercial trap beat with 808-kicks, and Bayley’s signature falsetto. As Curry’s rap verses get introduced on the track’s latter end, the product becomes wonky and wonderful playground of mellow tones, ethereal atmospheres, and vibrant skittering verses.