The song begins with a fast, afro-inspired drumbeat before a 15-second vocal from Ninajirachi is added, which is looped and spread out over the track’s two and a half minutes. The track builds over time, with harmonica-like synths and flourishes added with each verse.

“Nina (Jirachi) sent me a little package of production ideas and half songs,” explains 1tbsp about “Somebody Pay Nina.” “I really liked this combination of the Afrobeat sample and Ninajirachi’s vocals because I don’t think we would have ever come up with it spontaneously. Just through collages and seeing what works.”

1tbsp is the alternative house/dance project of Maxwell Byrne, who has received a Grammy nomination in the past for his contributions under the pseudonym Golden Vessel. The project began in 2019 when Bryne began curating his monthly club project ‘Sumoclic Nights’ in Brisbane. Debut EP Kanashi came in 2021, followed two years later by It is very loud. Byrne released his debut album, Mosquito lovelast August under the name 1tbsp.

megacity1000his second effort, combines elements of Afro-pop, indie house and UK garage to create a concept dance record that documents the process of building a fictional city. In it, he tries to attract investors to the project, brings people together to move to the city, and then watches it all fall to pieces before the listeners’ ears.

“My girlfriend and I spent two months over the summer building a cardboard city from scratch, and we shot the visuals for the album in this miniature city,” he notes. “We were heavily influenced by Playing time by Jacques Tati (1967) and metropolis by Fritz Lang (1928) and also followed what was happening with the construction of The Line in Saudi Arabia,” referring to the 170-kilometer-long city in the Middle East that is currently being built. “It feels like DJing and dance music can be an escape from reality, which I really appreciate,” he continues, “but it was also interesting to find a way to bring these concepts into my music as well.”