There's a minute-long stretch in the middle of Phiilo's "Light It Up" that defies conventional musical wisdom about mixing genres.

 

First, vocalist Johnny Etheridge sings a sultry and suggestive R&B melody over a punchy, tight, in the pocket groove - it feels like D'Angelo in the 90's. Suddenly, the bottom gives way to a swirling techno-esque build-up, rising to a crescendo on 16th-note kick drums and careening arpeggios. Then, the drop: soaring future-bass synths (with just enough "womp") and Etheridge over top - "Just watch me light it up!" - at the outer edge of his voice. Finally, for good measure, a scorching guitar solo from producer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Carruth.

 

The genre-blending works - it feels less like a compilation of styles and more like a new style of its own. And that dynamism was on full display - you could say they "lit it up" - at Phiilo's recent sold-out show at Larimer Lounge. The Denver-based duo's energetic recordings translate well into a live performance, with Etheridge doubling as vocalist and hype man while Carruth mixes, drums and solos on electric guitar (a semi-hollow-body built for him by local luthiers at Born Custom Guitars, if you're curious).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They ran through their whole catalog, marking the various musical flavors that the band has touched on in the past few years - the peppy and house-infused "Closer"; the funky "Without You"; the uplifting "Get It Going," among others - and were joined intermittently by trumpeter Matt Wilkolak for an added dose of live improvisation.

 

The show captured what seemed to be a moment of maturity and growth for the band - as if the exploration of styles that marked their earlier singles had crystallized into a distinct sound, unique to Phiilo. What is that sound? It probably hits different ears in different ways, but it's somewhere at the intersection of future bass, R&B and electro-funk.

 

But that doesn't even cover Phiilo's secret weapon, the element that truly separates them from any other EDM-adjacent group: electric guitar. Carruth isn't so much a producer who happens to play guitar; he's a terrifyingly good guitar player who happens to create top-shelf electronic music. The moments when Phiilo really shines as a live group are the interludes of guitar solos that punctuate otherwise heavily electronic tracks. This is a welcome surprise: for all the ingenuity and experimentation of EDM, highly technical and agile instrumentation as a component of a live show is still a rarity in a genre known more for its DJs.

 

It's no surprise then that Phiilo's recent releases have perked up ears across the industry. The group surpassed a million streams on Spotify this year (each new release, dropped typically every three or four months, also starts trending on the platform fairly quickly.) In May, their remix of Whethan's "Be Like You" hit number one on Hype Machine (even briefly appearing above Childish Gambino's "This Is America").

 

It would be futile to predict what's next for the group. Considering the experimental thrust of Carruth's production, this particular flavor of Phiilo could also easily pass into another musical realm in future. But whatever the sound, rest assured it will be heard by larger and larger audiences. So, at least one prediction can safely be made: the Phiilo Pham will soon need more elbow room than Larimer Lounge can provide.

 

• Noah Caldwell-Rafferty, NPR