Northside of Linden, Westside of Slauson

Grammy-nominated producer Salaam Remi, a force in hip-hop and pop since the early ’90s, documents a satisfying rapport with fellow producer and multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin (Kendrick Lamar, Robert Glasper) on this collaborative EP from Remi’s own Flying Buddha label. The steady grooves and pared-down harmonies are an ideal framework for Martin’s alto sax improvisations, which are straightforward and expressive, contributing to the mood rather than striving for top-rank virtuosity. The range in style is often determined by the drums: Check the brittle hip-hop feel of “Nautical Mile” and “Dap Dap Dap” or the slinky neo-soul of “Carrot Juice” and “OuterVisions.” The keyboard textures vary widely as well, from the swells of organ on “ChickenNWaffles Baptist Chuuch” to the acoustic piano of “Lychee Unlimited” and the atmospheric keyboard/synth of “Carrot Juice” and “Sativa Park.” It’s got the vibe of a spontaneous side project, perhaps a one-off, yet Remi and Martin’s honed instincts for sound and placement make it a coherent effort. “Because Terrace can play multiple instruments, and I can do the same—those musical chairs—we would just be jamming for like two, three hours,” Remi explained to Apple Music’s Ebro Darden. “We wouldn\'t even be looking up; sometimes I couldn\'t even see him as we were playing. He\'d be going left, I\'m going right. But then we listened back, like, \'Oh, snap.\'”