illustration by Diep Hoang

For the record, if you’re a fan of electronic music, Louis The Child is probably a household name in your music library. The American producer duo of Fredrick Kennett and Robert Hauldren has been making music since 2013 and created a name for themselves in the EDM and dance-pop genre. A handful of EP’s and two full-length studio albums have them achieving close to 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify and a number of charted hits as well. Best known for their singles “Better Not,” “Free” and “It’s Strange,” Louis The Child produces an upbeat and easy-to-dance-to electronic-pop sound that’s unique to their style. While their first full-length LP arrived in July of 2020, the duo has returned with their most recent project “Candy II [Beat Tape],” which is a 19-song, 34-minute tracklist full of variety and creative sounds that puts their production talents on full display.

Although listed as an album, “Candy II [Beat Tape]” plays much more like a mixtape. The songs are absent of catchy choruses and hooks, and as the name implies, the project is entirely instrumental. Despite there being 19 different tracks, most of them run under two minutes in length. While the presentation is certainly stripped back, the sounds most definitely are not. “Candy II” shines a light directly on Louis The Child’s production skills and features a diversity of sounds and themes throughout the project. The duo wastes no time getting to the first song, “The Sh*t.” Just 10 seconds in, the instrumental is already building to the first drop. Their futuristic brand of electro-pop is immediately recognizable as the album kicks off with wavy beats supported by original synths and dialed in percussion.

One of my favorite things about the album is how seamlessly it plays. The first six songs fit together perfectly—each one leading into the next without any noticeable transitions. If you’re not actively watching Spotify, you would think it was all one long song. Louis The Child then switches things up with tracks 7, 8 and 9. “Parashoes,” “hey RAWB” and “Keep Moving” arrive with a deep bass euro-house vibe that will have you nodding your head with the beat. From there, “Candy II” features something a little different in every subsequent track. Varied beats, tempos and drops with a bunch of new sounds keep you on your toes. The album closes with “Classic LTC,” “Fresh Juice” and “Takeoff” giving us one last glimpse of what Louis The Child has up their sleeve. As the name suggests, “Classic LTC” is a sound reminiscent of Louis The Child’s early days making remixes that put them on the map. “Fresh Juice” features a collaboration with electronic music contemporary Troyboi for a track with dubstep influences, and “Takeoff” finishes with a chilled outro and sampled “thank you’s” to wrap the whole project up.

I have to say I’m a big fan of “Candy II.” Every time I listen to it, I pick up on new sounds and patterns within the production. I enjoy how experimental the mixtape is – as if Louis The Child has taken the beats and sounds they’ve played around with and polished it into something cohesive. It comes off authentic and playful, while simultaneously pushing the duo’s sound forward with new ideas and designs. “Candy II” is something you can put on in the background of a workout or while doing homework, while listening closely to appreciate the talented production. It’s clear that the group has the raw talent and ability to continue developing their sound, and I’m already looking forward to the next project.