Astronautalis’s The SIKE! EP does exactly what its supposed to: get us excited for his new album, Cut the Body Loose.

“Sike!” is the lead single from the album, the only track on the EP that makes the final cut. More artists are releasing companion EPs for good songs that don’t fit the overall aesthetic of the full album, and this EP sounds most likely the same. “Sike!” is an aggressive hip-hop number with killer lines like, “Give em all trophies and some orange slices” and “Rick Ross – just a cop with some bad tattoos.” As always his forward nature mixes well with his humorous personality. 

The three that aren’t “Sike!” are slower and heavier minded. “Papillion” veers closer to spoken-word indie. While it may not be the most representative of his workman-like persona, it proves Astronautalis can exist in many musical forms. As does “Interbellum” which samples Animal Collective’s “Daily Routine.” “You Know What It Is” slowly builds up to an ending of chants and well-placed horns.

There are three “Sike!” remixes tacked on at the end. Subp Yao’s has a lot going on. GodDamnChan’s superimposes more of Allen Iverson’s practice rant. And Bird Peterson also does a remix. These are unnecessary for even the biggest Astronautalis fan.

While this is just a sample of what’s coming from Astronautalis, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Much like pal P.O.S. (referenced in “Sike!”), he has an ability to blur the lines between punk and hip-hop in an organic meaningful way.