Toronto jazz virtuosi BADBADNOTGOOD have released a new collaborative single, ‘Tried’, with Swedish electronic outfit Little Dragon. Driven by a laid-back cushion of wah guitar, crunchy drums and Yukimi Nagano’s soulful vocalising, the new track is a three-and-a-half minute exercise in cool jazz. Check out the track below:

Their first studio collaboration, ‘Tried’ is the product of longstanding mutual admiration between the two, with Little Dragon singling out the jazzers’ “raw sweaty energy” for special praise. In a statement, BADBADNOTGOOD discussed the new track. “We’ve all been big fans of Little Dragon for years, and had a chance to play some shows and hang out with them recently, which eventually led to this collaboration. They’re a truly captivating and unique group of musicians, and we’re really excited to share this song with them and hope to work together again in the future!”

BADBADNOTGOOD are one of the most technically proficient groups around today. All highly trained jazz musicians, the founding members met at a college music programme in Canada back in 2010 – Matthew A. Tavares on rapid-fire keyboards, Alex Sowinski on drums, Chester Hansen on bass and new addition Leland Whitty on saxophone, flute and guitar.

BADBADNOTGOOD – IV

Unafraid of experimenting and crossing musical boundaries, BADBADNOTGOOD are renowned for their futuristic fusion approach, which mixes the classic stylings of Miles Davis with funk, hip-hop and electronica. Their last studio album, IV, came out in 2016 and featured appearances from rappers Mick Jenkins and Sam Herring, as well as the Haitian-born DJ Kaytrananda. Listen to the title track below:

Meanwhile, Little Dragon’s last LP, Season High, was released last year, and saw the group increasing their experimentation with soul. Hear the lead single, ‘High’, below.