Kathmandu: Kathmandu-based electronic music act Phatcowlee’s debut EP, titled Cinema, is slated to hit airwaves this Friday. Phatcowlee, musician and artist Rajan Shrestha’s solo project, is known for creating songs that infuse samples and LA beat sensibilities combined with deeply personal lyrics. 

Cinema, the upcoming release, is said to be an expression of the artist’s love for Nepali film music and lo-fi hip-hop. The EP draws its motifs from Adhunik Nepali music sensibilties. 

Speaking about the upcoming EP, Shrestha says, “I was one day tuning into TV Filmy and suddenly I was led to reminisce about Gitaanjali, a staple TV show of the 90s which broadcasted popular Nepali film songs. I became nostalgic, and this EP is a result of just that.” Most of the songs in Cinema begin with samples from classic Nepali films (Mayalu and Chino) before they evolve into rhythms, textures and voices of their own. The result is a curious interaction between Rajan’s nostalgia for the past and his current experiments with song construction, which are tinged with modern sensibilities and methods. 

The EP will be out on Bangalore-based record label Consolidate on the second week of July, followed by a launch gig at RS MOTO, Kathmandu on Saturday.