Divine Interface - The Last Rendezvous (2024)

Atlanta-based DJ and producer Divine Interface (AKA Drew Briggs / Wi-Fi_daddy) has returned with a long-awaited follow-up to his 2020 2MR debut Seeking Arrangements. The Last Rendezvous is a series of after-hours dispatches about romantic encounters of all kinds, to the tune of Briggs’ signature lived-in sound, which he likens to “Frankie Knuckles meets Frank Ocean.”

On The Last Rendezvous, we join Briggs in his natural habitat: somewhere between the DJ booth and the afterparty. He may be a fixture in the local DJ scene, but Briggs’ music isn’t made for the club. “I always try to make dance music, but it ends up being more chill,” he explains. This quality is emblematic of his native Atlanta, where bars close at 2:30AM and late-night house parties are an essential part of the nightlife ecosystem. As a result, the songs on The Last Rendezvous are designed to shepard the listener on this journey: the chugging dance beat and vibrant percussion of “Blow A Kiss” are offset by Briggs’ signature understated delivery. Elsewhere, shadowy synths and icy percussion bounce around on the title track, encasing the melody in a velvet haze. Every beat sounds just out of reach, as if perennially reverberating from the next room.

The effortless groove of these tracks is classic Divine Interface – fans of Seeking Arrangements will find a lot to love here, from Briggs’ deft weaving of house and R&B influences (“808 Date Night”) to the affable wordplay in his lyricism (“Ms. Communication”). But there are new steps here, too: Briggs manipulates his voice in playful ways throughout the EP, pitching his vocals up and down to punctuate certain moments. This is crystallized on lead single “Redlight Greenlight”, where vocal distortion adds a playful multiplicity reminiscent of underground hip-hop pioneer Madlib.

When asked to elaborate on the EP’s title, Briggs says he thinks of the EP as a kind of farewell letter. He’s not planning on going anywhere of course, but isn’t all creative output a kind of release, and shouldn’t artists make sure they’re leaving behind a worthwhile message? This view speaks to one of the most distinct qualities of Briggs’ music as Divine Interface: though his melodies are universally appealing, the music is deeply personal, full of inside jokes, playful adlibs, and nods to his hometown. On The Last Rendezvous, Briggs opens the door to his world like it’s a late-night house party. It’s safe to say we’ll be back for more.