Asian-American electro hip-hop quartet Far East Movement has released their major label debut, Free Wired. The group consists of members Kev Nish, J-Splif, Prohgress and DJ Virman.
The 11-track album was co-written by Bruno Mars and features guest producers like Stereotypes, The Cataracs, Fernando Girabay, Cherry Cherry Boom Boom and Roger Sanchez.
The first two tracks are previous singles: “Girls on the Dance Floor” (released in 2008) and “Like a G6” (released in April). Both are inspired by the nightlife. The former is about letting loose in the club with women, while “Like a G6” captures the feeling of getting “slizzard,” or fully intoxicated.
“Rocketeer” opens with a slow tempo. The sweet vocals of OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder create dreamy imagery: “Take my hand, close your eyes/With you right here, I’m a rocketeer.”
“If I Was You (OMG)” boasts an appearance from Snoop Dogg, whose voice is auto-tuned to match the electro feel of the group. The song is an ego-booster for the women: “You ain’t a dime, you’s a silver dolla/It’ll be a crime, if I didn’t holla.”
A similar message to ladies is found on “She Owns the Night,” a house track featuring Mohombi. It describes a hard-working and studious woman who, contrary to her serious image, owns the night when she hits the clubs.
Switching to yet another genre, “So What” is a hip-hop track that samples the Beastie Boys’ “So What‘cha Want.” This is the only track on the album that does not feature any artists, aside from what’s borrowed from the iconic hip-hop trio. Reminiscent of Far East’s hip-hop upbringing, “So What” delivers a confrontational track that asks people what they want and advising people on what they need.
The next three tracks describe the history of a relationship. “Don’t Look Now,” featuring Keri Hilson, is about an instant connection after a first kiss. “Fighting for Air,” a collaboration with label-mate Frankmuzik, describes the feeling of being breathless from constantly thinking about a special woman. “White Flag,” a track with Kayla Kai, is an alternative pop jam about surrendering pride in the name of love.
To end the album, the last two tracks are modifications to previous songs. For “2gether,” the group and Kannoby got to provide the vocals for Roger Sanchez’s earlier single of the same name. The revision to “Go Ape,” which includes Lil Jon and Colette Carr, gives the already fast-paced, momentous song an even more energetic feel.
Far East Movement’s collaborations with different artists allow the group the ability to tap into varying genres. The group experiments with different sounds, and instead of sounding like a confusing mash-up, the album feels cohesive.
On the group’s online radio show, member Kev Nish explained that the music they listen to influenced the resulting sound of Free Wired. Not only does the album illustrate their preferences, but it also gives listeners an innovative take on familiar music.
