DJ, producer, director, and songwriter Sam i (formerly of hip-hop duo N.A.S.A.) and Nashville production and songwriting vanguard Shmuck the Loyal have joined forces for a new collaborative project TRY. Today, they’ve released Chapter One of their debut
album, an uplifting and optimistic project born from an inspiring and terrifying time. Through that lense, TRY chooses the path of light, acknowledging the flaws of the world while choosing to find the beauty of the human experience. “We wanted to make something that sounded timeless, and we figured that out as we went along – music that provided a visceral energy,” explains Shmuck.

Alongside the release, they’ve also shared a mind-melting video, directed by Sam, for “Clarity” ft. EARTHGANG. Massive synth melodies and a rippling chorus kick down the door and weave around the dextrous rhymes of the Atlanta hip-hop duo atop a sample of a song recorded at Angola Prison. In line with the intention behind the entire project, the track is about optimism through the lens of hardship, seeing the sun through the clouds, seeing the light through the darkness. A percentage of the proceeds of “Clarity” will go towards helping the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in the state of Louisiana.

The music created, was developed from was an organic process, as natural as the ease of breathing in and out. The result is a sonically diverse album. “Aphrodite,” the first song the duo completed, acts as the birth of the project, inspiring an uplifting fresh start over hopeful, transcending beats. “Silence,” a collaboration with Camden and Miette Hope features a danceable beat with lyrics questioning a lack of communication, either in personal relationships or as a societal whole. “End of Times” is a catchy dystopian love ballad about the world falling down around you but being content where you are, tucked away in a shelter of love and peace.

“We have very eclectic taste, and the record reflects that,” says Sam. With two more chapters planned for release over the next year, the entire project features an impressively varied roster of musical and artistic collaborators giving extra juice to the duo’s impossible-to-pin-down sound, bringing nothing but energy and a positive glow to match. All artwork and visualizers are overseen by creative director Cédric Hervet, who frequently operated in the same role for Daft Punk.

Chapter One Tracklist

Try
Chapter One
Track list
Spectrophonic Sound

1. Aphrodite
2. Clarity ft. EARTHGANG
3. Silence ft. Camden and Miette Hope
4. End of Times