RIDE OR DIE.

Hidden gems were few and far between at this year’s CMJ, but D. Gookin provided a pleasant surprise Friday night at Public Assembly. The jam dropping alias of percussionist Mike Birnbaum, D. Gookin is all about funked out electro beats and glossy production flourishes over which Birnbaum lays down live vocals and drums. Quietly released on Moodgadget last week, the Hartford export’s When You’re Lonely Everybody’s A Celebrity EP is one of the fresher debuts of the year and the live show doesn’t disappoint. “Glad I Met You” is its most triumphant track, a sexy, slow burning dance cut constructed from candy coated synths and an unplaceable vocal sample that’s every bit as eerily addicting as the loop in “Sleepyhead”. Listen to this on the street and it’s hard not to feel like the hottest shit on the block. Strutting has never been so inevitable.

MP3: “Glad I Met You” – D. Gookin