Toronto-based alternative /lo-fi producer and artist D. Park introduces his dreamy re-imagination of Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” an appetizer for his upcoming EP of covers, entitled Carbon Copies, releasing March 24.
Carbon Copies, a six-track collection of re-interpolations, features hits by Billie Eilish, Drake, The Beatles, Taylor Swift, and Earth, Wind & Fire, highlighting not only the longevity of the original songs but also D. Park’s gift and innovative aesthetic.
Parks shares, “I always say, jokingly, I’m ruining classic songs. There’s a certain freedom I have found in taking a song that everyone knows and flipping it on its head. When you write original music, the listener’s expectations are built a certain way, but doing covers, the game is more about defying expectations than meeting them. I love feeling like I can surprise listeners and myself with where I can take a song by recontextualizing it with my POV—where I come from, my own musical background.”
A university-trained classical and film composer, D. Park’s POV blends elements of pop, jazz, neo-soul, hip-hop, ambient, and electronic music into delicious lo-fi sonic creations.
Right before the pandemic, D. Park started a post-modern series on YouTube where he produced classical music with lo-fi beats. His channel attracted thousands of streams, as he reworked the canon of Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach.
Talking about “Hotline Bling,” D. Park says, “‘Hotline Bling’ is a way better song than people give it credit for. It feels so tied to its production that people don’t step back and respect the song-craft.”
Opening on soft, shimmering tones, “Hotline Bling” flows into a low-slung hip-hop rhythm tinted with pop savors. A smooth, rolling bassline gives the tune suggestions of chillwave as D. Park’s gentle, evocative voice imbues the lyrics with quixotic timbres.
“You used to call me on my cell phone / Late night when you need my love / Call me on my cell phone / Late night when you need my love / And I know when that hotline bling / That can only mean one thing.”
On his version of “Hotline Bling,” D. Park delivers cashmere washes of harmonics riding a silky beat, drenched in creamy vocals.
Follow D. Park Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify