Premiere: Phlake ft Che Lingo - Bitter (Live)

Phlake release a live session of their brand new single Bitter record by Christen Alex Peterson at Grape House Studio and shot and directed by Martin Skovbjerg. Capturing the intimate vibe, we witness the chemistry between Phlake, South London rapper Che Lingo and the live band with close up camera shots that travel across the room.

Bitter is a cool and smooth innovative arrangement with a plucked string rift that is looped throughout the track alongside a blues pattern drum beat produced by Jonathan Elkær who makes up ½ of Danish R&B duo. The live version also has a jazzy bass guitar, drums, keyboard that provides a textured layer to the track.

Vocalist Mads Bo, who makes up the other half of Phlake, wields his soulful falsetto with utter transparency as he negatives the aftermath of a relationship. Mads’ acknowledges that he’s “bitter” and his tone rings a bell however he still implies he loves her.

Che Lingo shows off his creative wordplay with lines such as “I was trynna love you broad day…That’s a crime and I should of caught case.” Implying that he wanted a serious relationship with his love interest, but things didn’t work out.

Talking about the track, the duo explains, “The song is about ending a complicated friendship and about coming to terms with the fact that things aren’t the way they used to be.”

Phlake first album Slush Hours was released in 2016, they then went out to release Weird Invitations (2017) and The Illegal Download of your Soul (2020. The group have dominated the music scene in Denmark and with the collaboration with Che Lingo there’s the feeling that we’re going to start hearing their soulful sound in the UK more and more.

The track Bitter was released via Idris Elba’s label 7Wallace.