CRASH – new album from BAD WITH PHONES
Why do they call you BAD WITH PHONES? BAD WITH PHONES opens up about the new album CRASH, mental health, the wig and how the new album was nearly called MONK. Listen: https://rb.gy/hfmy4x
CRASH, the newly released debut album by Bad With Phones, brings a unique blend of sounds, creating a dreamlike, after-hours atmosphere. The lead single, “Don’t Talk to Me,” is a jittery mix of dance-punk with shades of LCD Soundsystem, capturing the feeling of avoiding small talk at a party while “high on shrooms.” Tracks like “Devils” use the detuned, sleepy guitars that are popular among South London indie artists, while “Monica Too” carries a distorted, Weeknd-esque vibe.
The artist behind Bad With Phones is Manny T Deroy, also known as Emmanuel Folorunso. Hailing from Deptford, he is a bassist and producer who has been releasing music since 2018. Raised in a Pentecostal household, with a preacher father and brothers in the church band, his music subtly references this upbringing. However, Deroy’s style defies easy categorization, blending elements of experimental rap, trap, R&B, indie, and storytelling. His current look, featuring a chaotic pink wig, brings to mind Tyler, the Creator’s “Igor” phase, and his aesthetic wouldn’t seem out of place in a mid-2000s nu-rave zine like Super Super.
Although often playful with his personas, Crash is rooted in real-life experience. After surviving a severe car accident during a holiday in Lanzarote, Deroy took a two-year break from music. This experience informs the album’s narrative arc, blending tales of wild, late-night adventures with moments of personal redemption. His singular, quirky style stands out as something truly distinctive.
Crash is available now on Don’t Sleep.
