Theophilus London drops new mixtape

Theophilus London follows up last year's major-label debut Timez Is Weird These Days with an hour-long mixtape called Rose Island Vol. 1. The 20-something London indulges his unapologetic '80s fixation in full here, sampling Marvin Gaye and Sade and transforming a pair of 1984 hits -- Wang Chung's "Dance Hall Days" and Sheila E.'s "The Glamorous Life" -- in his own image. Chilled-out synths predominate throughout, suggesting that after London finishes his much-mooted sessions with his hero R. Stevie Moore, he should consider working with Toro y Moi or Washed Out. Speaking of Stevie, London finally gets his much-discussed love of the DIY godfather on tape here: the chorus of the disorientingly creepy "I Wanna Kiss You" is based on Moore's 1977 classic "I Wanna Hit You."

Elsewhere, A$AP Rocky and Outkast's Big Boi guest on a track each, but the best collaboration here is a version of Pharrell Williams' "Take It Off" done in collaboration with Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes, the artist formerly known as Lightspeed Champion), transforming the tune into a classic mid-'80s slow jam build on layers of gorgeous old-school synths.