Wine and Cheese: Travis Scott and Tame Impala

Travis Scott and Tame Impala are two artists you generally wouldn’t put on the same playlist  — at first.

It’s your dream collab. The artists you add back-to-back to the queue. The pairing you can’t get enough of. You know they sound good together, but why? Welcome to Wine and Cheese, a series investigating the why and telling you all about it.

Written by Jessica Regan

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

While Travis Scott dominates the rap industry with his electrifying hits, Tame Impala has secured their niche in the alternative music industry with their synth-laden psychedelic music. Both artists have become quite popular over the last few years, and have even collaborated recently on Scott’s  newest project, Astroworld. Although they fall under two different genres, the similarities between their music direction, creative choices, and production value make them quite compatible.

Travis Scott rose to the top soon after releasing his debut album Rodeo in 2015. From the start, Scott displayed his creative tastes and psychedelic style in his music, with tracks posted on SoundCloud before the release of Rodeo. His vocals range from robotic and emotionless (“Quintana Pt. 2”), to soft and pleading (“STOP TRYING TO BE GOD”), to emo-esque and punk screaming (“Upper Echelon”). His music is undoubtedly powerful, passionate, and downright addictive, and is ever so popular with fans, party goers, and casual listeners alike.

Scott takes a lot of inspiration from Kanye West, evident in his use of autotune and his rebellion against the mainstream. He continued to show his style in his sophomore album Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, and now third album, Astroworld. Through the years, Scott has given us party tunes and intense testimonials, all with the signature autotuned style that brought him to the top.

Tame Impala’s unique, retro style is unlike any other group in the alternative rock genre, which allowed their album Currents to quickly permeate the industry and stand out as genius. Kevin Parker, the group’s leader, has been heavily praised for his ability to write, produce, and perform. Parker has written and produced nearly all of the group’s music. Listening to Tame Impala is like watching a movie or reading a book watching a movie or reading a book with a host of twists and turns, with bubbly synth, in-depth filtering with drum beats, and strong emotional tones that often change throughout the song itself. The beautiful vocal harmonizing sometimes hides the negativity of the lyrics and the combining of such upbeat, psychedelic elements and brash words like in “The Less I Know the Better,” creates a confusing, altered state for listeners that somehow just works. The distinctive fusion of funk, rock, R&B, and electronic elements have made them one of the most popular rock bands of our generation.

The styles of these artists transcend any decade-based categorization, and therefore have unmatched longevity. The catchy melodies and dramatic switch-ups coupled with bass-heavy, electronic elements make these two artists an unusual, but near perfect match. Both artists utilize stunning vinyl scratches to switch up the beat and deepen the song (“SICKO MODE” by Travis Scott, “Let It Happen” by Tame Impala are great examples).

The use of heavy bass, autotune, and sonic editing is prominent in both of these artists’ works. Scott’s basslines, like most mainstream rappers, hit deep and hard. Tame Impala utilizes a bass guitar in total replacement of a guitar at points — including in “Let It Happen,” which is almost  completely void of a melodic guitar track completely.

Moreover, both artists have solidified their places in the music world as respected producers. Scott has notably worked on Rihanna’s Anti and Kanye West’s Life of Pablo and Yeezus, along with his own albums. Kevin Parker recorded and mixed Currents and Lonerism himself, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2013. Parker collaborated with Scott on Astroworld by co-writing and producing the track Skeletons.”

Stylistically, both Travis Scott and Tame Impala stand as pioneers in the music world. Their trippy, entrancing music and vocal variety solidifies them as strong contenders for awards and permanent reverence. Both have unique, offbeat styles and utilize similar sounds in their production. Furthermore, both Scott and Kevin Parker have proven their talent in music production through their own work and collaboration with one another. Simply put, the two go together like wine and cheese, and it’s hopeful they will work more together in the future given their past success.