SBTRKT (pronounced "subtract") is the electronic music project of Aaron Jerome, a producer based in London. Initially know for the tribal masks he and his collaborators wore in their live performances, Jerome shed the masks in the run-up to this fourth album, "The Rat Road." SBTRKT debuted in 2009 with remixes of artists like Radiohead, M.I.A, Basement Jaxx (‘Scars’) and Franz Ferdinand (‘Send Him Away’). These remixes gained the attention of radio DJs and tastemaker blogs, leading to more releases on Brainmath label, Ramp and Young. His 2011 eponymous debut SBTRKT was critically acclaimed, featuring starmaking turns from artists like Jessie Ware and Sampha. Jerome's collaboration with Sampha had begun in 2010, with the two working to hone their music production skills together in Jerome's London apartment. The creative bond would extend across all of the subsequent SBTRKT albums. Jerome followed up his debut album with 2014's Wonder Where We Land, featuring contributions from Caroline Polachek, A$AP Ferg, alongside Ware, Sampha, and Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig. SBTRKT's third project -- 2016's Save Yourself -- saw Jerome tackling xenophobia, political corruption, and the toils of being an artist under capitalism. Featuring contributions from Shelley FKA DRAM, The-Dream, and Sampha, the project was initially positioned as a rejection of the traditional album format, with Jerome writing upon release that "this is not an album" and that "culturally, albums now feel like a means to prove you are a "real" artist. To release an album, you turn yourself over to traditional label cycles and the end of increasing sales, leaving behind the creative spirit that brought the music to life in the first place." After releasing Save Yourself, Jerome took an extended hiatus, returning in 2023 with his fourth project The Rat Road. Again inspired by the dire sociopolitical context, Jerome sought to send up the idea of the "rat race," while also stepping more fully into the spotlight and reclaiming his artistry and the narrative surrounding the SBTRKT project. In the lead-up to the album's release, Jerome discussed his South Asian heritage, how the initial anonymity of the SBTRKT project alienated him from his art, and how during his hiatus from the project he sought to hone his skills. The album was released on May 5, 2023. http://sbtrkt.com . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.