In an era increasingly defined by algorithmic predictability, few artists are making music that feels as gloriously unpredictable as the creator behind Hooked On Phonics. Taken from the forthcoming album Retroism II: There Comes A Darkness, the single is a dizzying collision of sampled textures, rhythmic mutations, and genre-defying experimentation that somehow manages to feel both disorienting and deeply human.
Drawing inspiration from sound collage, plunderphonics, experimental composition, post-punk, Afrobeat, ambient music, and underground club culture, Hooked On Phonics refuses to sit still. The track constantly reinvents itself, twisting through beat switches and sonic detours with a restless energy that recalls the adventurous spirit of artists like The Avalanches, DJ Koze, and J Dilla. Yet beneath the chaos lies a surprising emotional coherence.
“I wanted to push the idea of beat-switching and musical cut-up techniques to an almost absurd extreme,” the artist explains. “Where the track constantly mutates but still somehow holds together emotionally and rhythmically.”
That tension between disorder and structure defines the project. While the music embraces fragmentation, it never feels random. Instead, it functions as a kind of sonic archaeology, excavating fragments from different eras, cultures, and genres before reassembling them into something entirely new.
Released during AAPI Heritage Month, the single also arrives with a deeper sense of personal reflection. The artist describes the occasion as an opportunity to honor ancestral histories while acknowledging the sacrifices that shaped their experience as an Asian American. Rather than making overt political statements, the music channels those ideas through atmosphere, memory, and emotional resonance.
What makes Hooked On Phonics particularly compelling is its embrace of imperfection. Despite its intricate digital construction, the track retains a rough-edged humanity. First takes are preserved, imperfections remain intact, and spontaneity is valued over polish. The result feels alive in a way many contemporary electronic productions do not.
“There’s always this tension between spontaneity and obsessive control,” the artist says. “I’m less interested in technical perfection than I am in capturing the right feeling.”
That philosophy extends into the artist’s broader approach to sampling. Rather than functioning as a nostalgic exercise, sampling becomes a tool for creating emotional atmosphere. Field recordings, environmental sounds, and seemingly insignificant sonic details are layered beneath the surface, adding depth and subconscious emotional weight.
The forthcoming album Retroism II: There Comes A Darkness appears poised to expand these ideas even further. While its title may suggest nostalgia, the artist describes “retroism” not as an obsession with the past, but as a way of using historical fragments to understand the present and imagine alternative futures. The record reportedly explores themes of uncertainty, anxiety, and transformation while maintaining the adventurous sonic spirit that defines this project.
The release is further elevated by a remix from acclaimed Manchester duo Cortese, who transform Hooked On Phonics into a UK garage-inflected club weapon while preserving its eccentric DNA. Rather than simplifying the track, the remix reveals new dimensions hidden within its original framework.
At a time when many artists are encouraged to streamline their sound for playlists and algorithms, Hooked On Phonics feels like a deliberate act of creative freedom. It’s playful without being frivolous, cerebral without losing its groove, and experimental without sacrificing emotional impact.
Most importantly, it reminds us that music can still surprise us.
As the artist puts it, the goal isn’t simply nostalgia—it’s “excavating ideas from the past to fertilize the future in a more colorful way.” On Hooked On Phonics, that future sounds wonderfully strange.
