A real jack of all trades, EarlMikeMane operates as a rapper, producer, and designer. By solely constructing each song from the ground up, he proves that independent artists can flourish in a scene often held back by uncommunicative collaboration. His latest venture, ‘Matrix’, is a breath of fresh air and a detailed glimpse into the next evolutionary stage of his […]
As one third of New York art collective Outfit 14A, DJANGO bears the responsibility of delivering the group’s musical output. As his first EP WIDE AWAKE demonstrates, he’s more than up to the task. The first thing that you’ll notice about DJANGO’s music is that his voice is an exemplary rap tool. He takes to the subtle autotune applied to […]
On the 9th of February I spoke with musician and graphic designer Blxckovt about his album, the current mindset of the music scene, and his ongoing rest and recuperation. For someone who projects such a spectral character in much of their work, Blxckovt cuts a surprisingly human figure across my phone’s screen. “We got the vibe lighting on!” he quips, […]
Styx City Cult’s resident gruff-voiced rapper Trrm teams up with prolific producer levitatingman for new audiovisual project “Dissipate Side A”. Through “Dissipate Side A” (also simply called “Dissipate”) Trrm demonstrates his proficiency in executing a multisensory project. He pairs frozen and lonesome visuals with overcast and corrupted soundscapes to lock down the attention of the audience, enveloping them in the […]
Less than two months after dropping the epic conclusion to his Trench Muzic trilogy with Lil Trvsh, Southern rap veteran Lil Disceased has released an excellent nine track project that more than delivers on and in many ways surpasses the quality that I expect from the rapper. Production-wise this is by far Disceased’s most diverse offering, with Loko Los, Sayda […]
Canada’s hip-hop scene continues to impress thanks to a killer new single from melodically-inclined artist TJB. So many elements of this track are beautiful: the fluttering pianos, the muted backing vocal that hypnotically murmurs the title, and most vitally the raspy, passionate performance from TJB himself. He’s very good at projecting his voice, and its his throat-shredding delivery that turns […]
“Electric Dimensia” is as chaotic as it is brief, a liminal corridor through which ziDiiL leads a cyclone of manic voices. The latest project from California’s ziDiiL is, at its core, an exercise in duplicity. It appears wildly random at times, but equally each choice is as meaningful as the next. The three voices that carry the album (ziDiiL plus […]
773MVSON recently committed himself by name to his city, a constant source of inspiration. I spoke with him in January to find out how he weaves his influences into his work. “Definitely laid down a few tracks. I gotta slow down with putting them out” begins Chicago rapper 773MVSON, opening our conversation with a methodical edge. Though our discussion has […]
Ireland’s NORTH returns with a loose handful of new material; “ROPES” is an opportunity for the artist to reflect on how best to coalesce his various talents. “LISTENCLOSE”, the opening track of Irish artist NORTH’s new album “ROPES” is a beautifully clustered affair. Various textures of sound are layered atop one another, wispy guitar notes echo unanswered as a ghostly […]
Canadian rap has never been in a better place, some of the genre’s best music is coming out of cities like Winnipeg. One of that city’s brightest stars, STMBLZ, has proven with the release of his new album Spirit Bomb that he’s a true lover of hip-hop and a genuine student of the art form. Packing seven songs, this project […]
In December 2019 I sat down to talk with Drinkbleachh about the crazy year he’d had, and his ambitions for the year to come. It’s somewhere between sundown and midnight when my phone lights up with the image of a smiling face accompanied by a hurried “I’ll call you back in a second”. Seconds after the call started, the line […]
At only fifteen years old, UK rapper Finlince! is an inspiring presence in the underground rap community.. While his current discography is modest, it contains plenty of hidden gems that hint at a bigger, bolder future for the talented youngster. The Threeway EP is as good a place to start as any with the rapper’s music. Lathered in autotune, Fin’s […]
I’ve covered SeKwence on this blog countless times, but never before have I had the pleasure of reviewing such a well-assembled project from the Alabama MC. Left in a daze after the epic Wonder If Hell Has a Buffet, I was all the more dazzled by Lake Water’s dreamy, introspective contents. Check the album out in full here. I’m always […]
New Jersey’s Arcuti shows popstar aspirations in his music, piecing together featherweight vignettes of emotion that come and go in a carefree world. There’s something blissful about music that exists purely in the moment, and the discography of New Jersey multitalent Arcuti is a perfect example. As a rapper, singer, producer and engineer, Arcuti draws from pop rock influences to […]
“DeepWebMoney™ Platinum Edition” is ten tracks of sensory overload, a story of technological takeover that takes every opportunity to overwhelm. “Clearing Out Memory”, the third track on mastercard2k’s latest beat tape “DeepWebMoney™ Platinum Edition”, could not be any less faithful to its title. In fact, the song does everything it can to occupy the whole of the listener’s mind. The […]
Fresh off of one of his best musical years to date, Florida rapper Lärs has crafted yet another beautiful project with Milo. Working in collaboration with his fellow Floridian Ruci, he delivers one of his most personal efforts to date. Ruci’s role on this album as executive producer is something that he hasn’t attempted before, and yet he takes it […]
