Review: Fried Monk and Beautiful-Fortune – Here As One

After several years of working on each of their respective solo projects, Fried Monk (Lucas Kozinski) and Beautiful-Fortune (Jameel Farruk) join forces on the experimental EP called Here As One. With a sound in the same vein as Broken Bells, Gorillaz and MGMT, this new collaborative project makes for a quick but enjoyable listen. The EP is built around the strength of the lead single, “Planet B,” that drives most of the lasting impact of the record. In a recent interview Farruk described the track by stating, “I’m overly curious about the sun. I’m borderline obsessed with it. As a solo artist, I can’t help myself from having referred to the sun over and over throughout my catalogue of songs.” Based primarily on the aftermath of a difficult breakup, Farruk describes the song as “a declaration of my acceptance of a life without her.” With so much packed into these three songs, it’s hard to not take notice over the two artists’ chemistry.