Reagan Bombs Drops Lo-Fi Realness on “Card”

Growing up around Washington, D.C.’s go-go scene is something Tittsworth wears like a badge of honor. While the regional percussive-funk influence may not have been so front-and-center in his work as a veritable wrecking ball in the dance music space over the years, those roots are the main focal point of his new project Reagan Bombs, founded alongside screenwriter Scott Sanders.

The two-man band has just released a self-titled 13-track LP that riffs off the lo-fi jam-sesh nature of the niche genre. Much more than a tribute to the past, the album is a staunch reimagining of pivotal moments from the pages in go-go’s history book. The kicker, though, is how they approach the hybridization—through the use of hidden-gem samples found in VHS tapes, rare interviews, and in some cases, recordings from live musicians. They have done a remarkable job at introducing a strong take on a somewhat marginalized sound, in a way that only someone who keeps the subject matter close to their heart can do.

In light of the recent release, Insomniac has jumped on the featured cut “Card,” which brings those lo-fi vibes with the realness. Rapper Dude, an instrumental figure in the go-go circuit, chimes in vehemently at various breaks in the track, which is marked by clattering drum patterns, swirling padlines, and a haunting atmosphere overall.

“The track ‘Card’ is the result of combining Rapper—one of go-go’s biggest MCs (or lead talkers, as we call them), a punk/hardcore drummer playing go-go rototom (Andrew Black from the Explosion), and my stitchings of a gritty techno beat,” says Tittsworth. “Scott also decontextualized what it means to get your ‘card pulled’ by creating a demonic magic card video—ironically a topic that the black community often feel some type of way about. Also, it makes me think of when I was 16 and got my card pulled by N-bombing the WRONG person.”

Available now via Swedish Columbia.

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