Browsing Tag

Experimental Hip Hop

Orizon made his disconcertingly disquiet debut with his avant-garde genre-evasion, WORMNO.1

Posted on 25 January 2024

Orizon’s debut single ‘WORMNO.1’ is a bold, genre-defying escapade that challenges the very fabric of musical norms. This avant-garde piece is a manifesto of Orizon’s unbridled creativity and audacious vision. From the outset, ‘WORMNO.1’ captivates with a cascade of keys, reminiscent of the haunting tones of the ‘Clockwork Orange’ soundtrack. It’s a journey that begins in classical territory but quickly diverges into a realm where hip-hop beats and neo-classical elements coalesce into something entirely new. Orizon’s dark, mantra-like vocals serve as a grounding force amidst the chaos, offering a comforting anchor in this storm of sound.

Listening to ‘WORMNO.1’ is akin to imagining Glenn Branca’s ‘The Ascension’ reimagined with a hip-hop heartbeat. The track is a testament to Orizon’s ability to bend genres to his will, creating a soundscape that is as disquieting as it is mesmerising. The juxtaposition of classical serenity and hip-hop’s raw energy creates a disarming effect, reflecting the tumultuous nature of human emotions and relationships.

Orizon’s debut album, ‘RADIO (INPINK)’, promises to be a journey through love’s many stages, with ‘WORMNO.1’ setting the tone for this exploration through a blend of anarchy, sophistication, and a touch of synth supervillainy.

In ‘WORMNO.1’, Orizon laid down the gauntlet for the future of music. It’s a bold statement from an artist unafraid to venture into uncharted territories. As the final notes fade, one thing is clear: Orizon is not just here to play music; he’s here to change the game.

WORMNO.1 was officially released on the 2nd of January; stream the track on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s all bells and no whistles in Roman Gastelum’s ingenuitive hip-hop track, Pavlov’s Dogs

Posted on 14 November 2023

After a bell ring in the intro to pay a conceptual nod to the iconic conditioning experiment, Roman Gastelum moves straight in with an amalgam of funk grooves, jazzy timbres, and hip-hop beats in his standout single, Pavlov’s Dogs taken from his debut LP, EQlibrium.

With the single and LP title, we probably don’t need to tell you that the LA-based bassist, vocalist, lyricist, and composer is an intellectual cut above the rest. In fact, if there were any more genius touches to this release, Roman Gastelum’s door would be blown off its hinges after an army of sapiophiles came knocking. But it is far from just pretentious art over substance.

The sublime sonic atmosphere conjured around the bruisingly clever bars by the artist who received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from the Musicians Institute in LA ensured that even on the 100th listen, you’ll take something new from Pavlov’s Dogs. As the cherry on the urban alchemist cake, the spacey sci-fi surrealism towards the outro is a lesson in experimental scintillation.

Pavlov’s Dogs is now available to stream on Spotify with the rest of the EQlibrium LP which dropped on September 29.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The debut single, Defective by Design, from r.a.g.s. is a wavey lo-fi outcry of poetic raw emotion.

Posted on 10 September 2023

With a sound that will draw in fans of Kae the Tempest and George the Poet like a moth to a flame, the visceral with uninhibited candour single, Defective by Design, from r.a.g.s. and tee fisher is a gravitational force in and of its hip-hop self.

Experimentalism was in no short order in the chilled wavey lo-fi outcry of poetic raw emotion. While the title gives a few clues as to what the lyrics allude to, there’s no preparing for the intellect in the wordplay, which finds profound new ways to illustrate the frustration of feeling as though you were always fated to live a life bookended with mental cognitions that will always lead you down the wrong path of perception and action.

r.a.g.s. started his musical journey by learning Indian classical keyboard at age five; he took his immersion in the music world a step further by enrolling at Leeds Conservatoire studying jazz and learning how to produce his own music. His debut single effortlessly distinguished him as an artist who will never leave authenticity by the wayside. Naturally, we can’t wait to what lingers in his obscure pipeline.

Defective by Design hit the airwaves on August 28; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MANTRABLU tripped out trap in his latest juggernaut of a track, NIPTUCK

Posted on 30 July 2023

Brooklyn-based singer, rapper, and producer MANTRABLU has dropped his juggernaut of an experimental trap hit, NIPTUCK; with the razor-sharp wit and equally as cutting trip-hop atmosphere, few urban originators have as much edge as the artist who takes his influence from everything from math rock to neo-soul to jazz-funk.

After a wavy chiptune prelude, MANTRABLU’s rolling-with-the-punches rap bars adrenalize the texturally complex soundscape that stands as a testament to his trailblazing authenticity. Get behind him or get out of the way, because if any contemporary artist has what it takes to make a fresh mark on the Brooklyn hip-hop landscape it is him – especially now he’s breaking away from his production-focused discography and going back to his origins as a songwriter.

Stream NIPTUCK which hit the airwaves in May 2023 on Spotify and Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jazzy hip hop hit the streets of London through Dylan Dixon’s luminary hit, REAPER

Posted on 9 February 2023

After a hiatus, Southwest London’s slickest rapper, Dylan Dixon, is on razor-sharp form in his sophomore single, REAPER. With instrumentals that would be equally as home in the East Coast hip-hop arena, the trumpet-infused triumph is a scintillating hit that more than compensates for the lack of experimentation in the UK hip-hop scene that scarcely looks beyond drill and grime.

While the cinematic soul of the jazzy instrumentals set a euphonic score, Dixon comes in heavy with his bars that are enough to leave your head in a spin with their cutting canter and charisma-dripping wordplay, which inadvertently makes a mockery of what most rappers think are dynamic bars.

Influenced by the likes of Griselda, Kanye, and Ghetts, Dixon found his own urban signature in unchartered territory, through determination to never to assimilate while paying homage to the pioneering acts who came before him.

Stream REAPER on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

$LADEGEEKIN reinvented West Coast hip-hop with his intricately experimental hit, REDO

Posted on 28 January 2023

Indio, California rapper, engineer, and producer $LADEGEEKIN, has dropped his sophomore hit, REDO. If it has been a while since a hard-hitting hip-hop production has left an ever-lasting mark on your rhythmic pulses and psyche, delve right into the hit that makes it impossible to resist the mesmerism in the beats.

After an intro of inventively arranged effect-laden guitars, $LADEGEEKIN starts to bridge the gap between alt-hip-hop and the West Coast style. Even with the passion poured into the narratively vulnerable bars, they keep an assuredly steady pace to become the centre of gravity within REDO.

His debut single, $our Diesel, was impressive. With his sophomore single, he’s proven that he’s got exactly what it takes to make his way up from the Cali underground hip-hop scene. Save a spot on your radar. We’d put money on more infectiously intellectual hits being in the pipeline.

REDO was officially released on December 25th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Atlanta Hip Hop Pioneer Caleb X Illuminated the Way to Tranquillity with his Vibe-Heavy Hit, Peace

Posted on 27 January 2023

Cleveland, Ohio-born, Atlanta-based artist Caleb X started a flood of tranquil melodicism by bringing in the new wave of hip-hop with his latest single, Peace.

Even with the nostalgic samples implanted in the glossily smooth hit, which illuminates the path to catharsis and emotional sanctity, there is no denying the experimentally contemporary edge that effortlessly complements the authenticity within the bars.

Though he may be influenced by DMX and Tupac, Caleb X ripped up the hip-hop rulebook before creating this vibe-heavy hit that will spice any future-embracing hip-hop playlist up with its mellifluous soul and style.

Peace was officially released on January 20th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Take a psychonautic trip with Dirt Cookie’s spacey synthwave rap hit, Word Vomit

Posted on 2 January 2023

After the success of his 2022 sophomore album, Peace in the Valley, the up-and-coming alt-hip-hop originator, Dirt Cookie, pulled a fresh antagonistically infectious earworm out of the oven with his latest single, Word Vomit. 

After confessing that he doesn’t want to write about sex anymore over spacey synths and purposefully scratchy beats, the psychotropic feat of synthwave rap kicks into a melodic flow, led by his snappy rap verses that throw lyrical curveball after curveball. 

There’s no anticipating the direction Dirt Cookie will take while he’s rapping through the droning synthesisers and 8-Bit style instrumentals, and that’s a major part of the experimental success of Word Vomit. The clue is kinda in the title.

As we have no idea what to expect from his next release, especially based on the indie folk hits in his sophomore album, we’re already stoked to hear it. He’s the GOAT of hip hop wildcards. 

Word Vomit is now available to stream on Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

Beavus has launched his experimentally originated hip-hop eponymous debut album.

Posted on 6 December 2022

The up-and-coming alternative artist, Beavus, proved that beyond-the-curve experimentalism is in high demand with hip-hop fans after the launch of his self-titled debut album.

The standout single, Song 4 Might Be Finished, is a meditatively chill window into the artist’s vibe-heavy inclination. Running through like a semi-lucid lo-fi trappy lullaby, the single exposes you to intimate confessionalism while the downtempo beats drench you with tranquil catharsis.

The sense of sweet yet cheeky playfulness takes the soundscape to the next level, and Beavus’ 5,000 monthly Spotify listeners would be more than inclined to agree.

Check out the eponymous debut album from Beavus on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zackwa is on his own experimental plateau in ‘All Praise and Glory’

Posted on 6 September 2022

With the fluid transitions between the Prince-Esque vocalised harmonies and the blazing rap bars that are just as convictive as RZA’s, Zackwa’s latest single, All Praise and Glory transcends the constrictive nature of genre boundaries. That is before you account for the experimental accordance in the ambient electronica meets new age hip hop instrumentals.

Zackwa strives to rise above the mundane energy of the world, and it’s safe to say he is not only in another league. He is operating from a new dynamic plateau, constructed by his autonomy and inclination to verse introspective gold into the strained atmosphere of the 21st century.

Check out the lyric video for All Praise and Glory on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast