.multibeat - OOO

Free-thinking Dutch collective .multibeat return to their underground roots with 'OOO' (Out Of Office), their third LP and first release for esteemed Berlin imprint Sonar Kollektiv. The album reflects the trio’s strong independent spirit while staying true to their live sound and maintaining the collaborative ethos that has shaped their work from the very beginning.

The core trio of Boudewijn Pleij (keys), Thijs van Zutphen (bass) and Aron Smit (drums) hail from the vibrant Dutch city of Utrecht, a culturally open hub with a rich musical heritage that has produced artists as diverse as the Kyteman Orchestra, Black Sun Empire and influential Dutch rapper Sticks. It is this eclectic environment that helped shape .multibeat’s open-minded and forward-thinking musical identity.

Taking inspiration from their surroundings, the trio bring together hip hop and jazz to create something uniquely their own, always keeping the beat firmly at the centre of their sound. Influenced by artists such as Robert Glasper and J Dilla, as well as the current wave of UK jazz, the three musicians first met while studying at the conservatoire in Utrecht.

Initially performing as a live backing band under the name Muddy Grease, they gradually evolved into a production-focused outfit shaped by Golden Era hip hop, jazz and beat culture. Inspired by the rise of the lo-fi hip-hop scene during the mid-2010s, they began collaborating with a growing network of artists while simultaneously helping foster a more experimental and community-driven music scene in Utrecht.

Their debut album Toolbox, created alongside Dutch beatmaker Noflik, arrived in 2022, followed by the A Muddy, What Else? EP in 2023, which further refined their groove-led future jazz sound. Their second LP Channel Island followed in 2024 and featured collaborations with Pete Philly, Joya Mooi, GINGE and Butcher Brown’s Marcus “Tennishu” Tenney. Following the more crossover-oriented Have A Nice Weekend EP in 2025, OOO sees the trio reconnect with the more eclectic and exploratory side of their musical identity.

The album opens with Flyyy, featuring Dutch lo-fi producer Casiio. Cascading keys gradually give way to soft pads and laid-back beats before the track subtly shifts into a more fractured yet equally relaxed groove, accompanied by wordless vocal samples and wonky synth textures.

Collaboration continues throughout the record. Nine/Three and the title track both feature longtime collaborator Paul van de Calseijde, whose saxophone and synth work add further depth and atmosphere to the album’s sonic palette.

Elsewhere, Bloom leans on the talents of Ethiopian-born Dutch R&B vocalist Neema Nekesa and producer Noflik. Built around warm grooves and gentle melodies, the track reflects on personal growth, trust and emotional resilience within relationships.

Similarly, Hold Me Down features Dutch vocalist, songwriter and producer TOS on an open-hearted and soulful collaboration driven by steady rhythms, lush keys and rich low-end textures.

Released as the album’s first single, Please Hold Me brings together .multibeat and Dutch singer-songwriter Säm Wilder. With melting chords, pitched-up vocal samples and neck-snapping drums, the track captures the feeling of slowly letting your guard down with someone and learning to embrace closeness again.

On Monochrom, Dutch vocalist vAn joins the trio for a soulful crossover piece exploring political polarization and the loss of nuance in an increasingly black-and-white world.

Meanwhile, Use Your Noggin reveals the group’s playful side. Inspired by late-night GeoGuessr sessions and deep YouTube rabbit holes, the track combines frantic drums, warm basslines and glowing synth textures into one of the album’s most rhythmically direct moments.

These collaborative highlights are balanced by instrumental moments from the core trio, including the shifting time signatures of Rhapsody, the steady pulse of Last Name, the jazz-infused mini-odyssey Send It, and the low-end-driven Three/Four, alongside a pair of brief outro sketches. OOO captures .multibeat at their most collaborative and fully realised, deepening their identity as a trio while continuing to push their sound into new and inspiring spaces.

Feel free to share the official link: https://sonarkollektiv.lnk.to/ooo