Local production duo Midas Wells and Chris Kramer, aka Tensei, combine frothy spiritual jazz, warm hip-hop beats, and vocals from a far-flung crew of rappers and singers. In January, Tensei dropped the excellent album Constellate, whose buzzy atmosphere recalls the Soulquarian sound of the late 90s—lead track “Liquid Tongues,” with singing from former Chicagoan A. Billi Free, casts an astral glow. Free, now based in New Mexico, has scheduled an August release for her album I Luma, which features Tensei’s beats and an Angel Bat Dawid guest turn. On Friday, June 21, Tensei perform with Free at Cafe Mustache’s Open Beats series; on Sunday, June 23, they back her at Smart Bar.
