Magro – Toyko Tree EP

Magro spent his formative years in Ludwigsburg, close to Stuttgart, in southern Germany. Growing up with both parents being classically trained musicians meant that he was never far away from an instrument. He learnt classical piano from the age of 6, before moving on to drums at 12, and taking his love for the instrument with him on moving to Berlin in 2015.

The vibrant music scene in the German capital, as well as the influence of his producer girlfriend, took his thoughts to the studio, and having been fed on a love for Golden Age Hip Hop, D’Angelo and Prince in his 20s, the art of music production soon became his raison d’être and Magro was born.

“Producing has opened up a new musical world for me, because I’ve learned to listen in a completely different way.” Magro

Living a rather solitary existence in Berlin, Magro dug deep to hone his own style and took his time to connect with the city’s music scene. It was worth the wait though, as the drummer and producer eventually found himself working with artists from an eclectic selection of musical genres including Wayne Snow, Stimulus, Nightmares on Wax, Daniel Hayn and Telemakus. His first LP, entitled Trippin, was released in 2021 to huge critical acclaim, and was awarded the German Jazz Prize for Debut Album of the Year.

The follow up LP II dropped the following year, deftly combining out there space jazz with hip hop beats, and seeing the producer collaborate with soulful vocalist Kenny Wesley and rapper Rapturous, with whom he continues to enjoy a fruitful partnership with to this day.

Signing to Sonar Kollektiv marks an important moment in Magro’s career as it’s sure to bring his distinct but hard to pigeonhole, international sound to a new audience of music lovers with a broad palette. Magro’s debut EP for the label provides a tight snapshot of his mellifluous sound.

The Tokyo Tree EP, and its title track, like the Japanese cherry blossom, marks a spring-like rebirth for the producer. The first taste came in the form of single Grief, featuring composer, producer and keyboard prodigy, Moses Yoofee, another long time friend and collaborator. Yoofee, who has released several hugely popular EPs of his own and received the German Jazz Prize for Live Act of the Year with his trio, added sparkling synths to Magro’s intricately structured backdrop and shows off his skills with aplomb.

The second single, the aptly titled Need A Friend, was originally produced by Magro as an instrumental cut, until long-time collaborator Rapturous (aka RAH) wrote lyrics and added his distinctive, smooth part-sung, part-rapped vocal, somewhat reminiscent of Anderson.Paak. It’s a song that sums up the pair’s relationship and celebrates the joy of having a friend who understands you and that you can rely on. RAH’s flow sits perfectly over Magro’s tight rolling drums and optimistic keys.

Fruitful collaborations continue throughout the EP. On Beauty, Magro works with celebrated, conscious New York rapper and singer Oswin Benjamin. He had seen the vocalist performing with superstar jazz pianist Robert Glasper and, impressed by his freestyle raps, simply sent him an instrumental track to rap over. The result is an impressive cameo that perfectly counterbalances the track’s melancholic groove with Oswin delivering both a serious hip hop flow and beautifully sung outro. And on Pursuit, Magro joins forces with the Australian alternative/indie-soul newcomer Jess Reiss. It’s a simple, wistful song recorded with low snare drums that give it a kind of muffled, retro feel.

Elsewhere on the EP, Magro’s eclectic influences really shine. Breath, with its edgy beats, keys and shaker sound is much inspired by Flying Lotus, whereas the track Fly with its tight, funky groove, in-your-face synths and dramatic drops is (ironically enough) more akin to something Louis Cole might produce. To hear the pure, unfiltered Magro sound, though, head to the track Hangout with the kind of head nod beats that are very much intertwined with this unique producer’s identity.