Willdabeast & Cryptochronica Announce New Single “Speak Easy”

Grand Alliance Music will release “Speak Easy,” a new instrumental collaboration between Cryptochronica and Willdabeast, on March 31st, 2026. The track brings together two Pacific Northwest-based acts whose working relationship developed organically through the label’s network and grew into a creative partnership rooted in shared taste and approach.

“Speak Easy” emerged from a series of exchanges between the artists. Ideas moved back and forth over time, with multiple drafts taking shape before this record fully locked in. By the time it did, the direction was clear. The track leans into groove, arrangement, and tone rather than a single genre identity, landing as a hybrid piece built for both club play and open-format sets.

Cryptochronica, the Portland-based project of producer Chris Shimanoff, is known for heavy, groove-forward productions that blend freeform bass, glitch-driven sound design, and psychedelic textures. His work draws from a background in Hawaii’s dub and reggae scenes, carrying that rhythmic foundation into a more maximal, high-energy electronic space. With over a decade of production experience, he has released projects including INTERSECT (2026) and the Deconstruct EP, and is also an instructor with Producer Dojo. His catalogue spans releases on Grand Alliance Music, Aspire Higher, and Producer Dojo, with additional placements including work featured within the Disney Star Wars franchise.

Willdabeast, the duo of Will Glazier and Dan de Lisle, approach production through a combination of electronic composition and live instrumentation. Known for incorporating brass and other wind instruments into their records, their sound moves across experimental bass music, downtempo funk, and other psychedelic electronic styles without locking into a single lane. Their work emphasizes different versions of sampling, live performance elements, and arrangement-driven production.

On “Speak Easy,” those approaches meet directly. Cryptochronica’s low-end focus and detailed sound design provide the foundation, while Willdabeast’s live horn arrangements and additional drum and synth work shape the track’s movement and phrasing. The result is a collaborative record that reflects both artists’ identities without separating them.

The single will appear as part of the upcoming Willdabeast & Friends project (June 2026) and serves as one of its defining entries, highlighting the collaborative nature of the release and the relationships formed through the Grand Alliance Music community.

Cryptochronica