Browsing Tag

Avant Garde Hip Hop

FLIPPIN’ GOTHIC FABP unleashed urban surrealism with ‘JUST HOW OPEN MIC’

Posted on 25 February 2024

FLIPPIN’ GOTHIC FABP’s latest single, ‘JUST HOW OPEN MIC‘, is a feat of unorthodox brilliance. Hailing from, New York, this artist, formerly known as Fabp aka Fabpz the Freelancer, makes a habit of defying convention by merging the gritty essence of urban life with surreal, almost otherworldly dimensions.

The track is an audacious leap into the avant-garde, where spacey, experimental beats collide with a hypnotic rap cadence. FLIPPIN’ GOTHIC FABP’s lyrical prowess is akin to a cosmic navigator, guiding listeners through a sci-fi cinematic universe, yet firmly rooted in the raw, undiluted essence that has been his hallmark. His voice, a blend of rhythmic precision and melodic undertones, weaves through the beats with an almost ethereal quality.

This is not your typical hip-hop fare. ‘JUST HOW OPEN MIC’ challenges the listener, demanding attention and contemplation. It’s a bold statement from an artist who has worked over 2,000 tracks into his discography; a testament to his relentless creativity and dedication to his craft.

Watch the official music video for JUST HOW OPEN MIC by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

3G Internet – KRASH: An Anti-Pop Alt-Hip-Hop Debut to Lose Your Head To

Posted on 7 February 2024

3G Internet, the Experimental Hip Hop/Anti-Pop duo from Northeast Ohio, literally crashed into the music scene with ‘KRASH’, a track from their debut EP that defies convention with maximum conviction.

KRASH is a 7-minute audacious trip that rips up the rules and scatters the ashes of mundanity through the harsh tonal hues that pay an ode to the legacy of Death Grips and JPEGMAFIA. It’s a chaotic blend of gritty, glitchy electronic distortions and 8-bit landscapes, that makes no apology for launching an assault on the senses.

It’s a whirlwind of ideas, each vying for attention, yet somehow harmoniously coexisting. The duo’s disregard for industry norms is evident in every beat, every synth, and every lyric. In short, KRASH is a  ballad of the bizarre.

The duo’s approach to music is refreshingly honest. They pursue every idea, no matter how outlandish, and the result is a track that’s as authentic as it is avant-garde. In a world where music often feels manufactured and soulless, KRASH is a breath of caustically fresh air.

The debut EP is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

my•escy has made his Avant-Garde horrorcore debut with ‘Milk Teeth’

Posted on 15 December 2023

my•escy’s debut avant-garde hip-hop single, Milk Teeth, emerges as a hauntingly innovative masterpiece, setting a new precedent in the genre. Hailing from Venice, California, my•escy infuses his music with a unique blend of post-punk and industrial influences. This track is a bold introduction to his dark, visceral style, showcasing his ability to craft a nightmarish auditory experience.

Milk Teeth begins with a deceptively playful intro, a jaunty address that lures the listener into a false sense of security. This quickly gives way to a darker, trappy aesthetic, a stark contrast that is both jarring and intriguing. The track is imbued with horrorcore energy, its production, lyrics, and bars exuding a zany yet menacing vibe. my•escy’s skill in switching between the wild insanity of Insane Clown Posse and his own snarled, charismatic bars creates a captivating dichotomy that ensnares the listener.

The track’s production is a gritty synthesis of macabre imagery and sonic synthetics, transcending mere sound to offer a full-fledged experience. my•escy’s use of ominous synth-soaked beats creates an atmosphere that is both oppressive and exhilarating. The lyrics weave a narrative that is as compelling as it is unsettling, ensuring that Milk Teeth lingers in the mind long after the last note has faded.

Stream Milk Teeth on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

looCcaM remixed reality in his 90s NY Hip-Hop meets Avant-Garde Sci-Fi sonics rap track, Trumpet of the Martians

Posted on 18 October 2023

If the spacey conviction in Legend Has It by Run the Jewels left you hooked, prepare to be ensnared all over again by the latest track, Trumpet of the Martians, from the cosmically urban innovator, looCcaM.

If someone asked Nas, Jay-Z or the Notorious B.I.G. to pour their 90s NY rap flavour into a Doctor Who soundtrack, the result would be as scintillatingly convictive as this Avant-Garde boom bap homage to futuristic poetics, which simultaneously unravels as a high-fire rebuke to neoliberal dogmatism.

Following the release of Trumpet of the Martians, the Buffalo, NY native will release his LP, Silence Exile Cunning, on October 19, which was innovatively crafted to synthesise beat culture with iconography which has previously had no place in the rap scene. Expect everything from electro-punk to hyper-pop to experimental poetry. In looCcaM, we believe.

Check out the radio edit of Trumpet of the Martians via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lex the Visionary artfully revolutionised alt-hip-hop with ‘Stretch’

Posted on 15 August 2023

If you like your rap tracks dark, decadent and full of hooks, delve right into the debut EP, LOTUS, from the Atlanta-based originator Lex the Visionary. Between the four tracks, the evocative trailblazer invites the listener on a journey from heartbreak to the discovery of her authentic self; the cinematic proclivities of the release give you a panoramic view of the roadmap of actualisation and redemption.

The standout single, Stretch, pushes the hip-hop envelope into artfully authentic new territory underpinned by Lex the Visionary’s delectable way of constructing moody melodies. The juxtaposition between her vocals, which give a view into her history with church choirs, and the spacey, at some points transcendent sonic motifs, is nothing short of arrestive.

After the midway mark in Stretch, the soundscape takes an ambient turn; the lush reverb drifting from the synth lines reaches the pinnacle of ethereal catharsis while giving you space to reflect on the introspective gold relayed into this elevated with luxe ingenuity release.

Stream Lex the Visionary’s EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tyrus Archer launched an ‘AMERICAN CLASSIC’ with his latest alt-hip-hop single.

Posted on 18 May 2023

Don’t be fooled by the titular insinuation; the latest single, AMERICAN CLASSIC, from the alt-hip-hop innovator, Tyrus Archer, is anything but archetypally in-line with the American dream. The downtempo trip-hop beats and ethereally luxe backing vocals, which sound like they’ve been torn from a David Lynch production, take AMERICAN CLASSIC to the next level.

From the first verse, you will find yourself transfixed on the conviction that pours from Archer’s hot and heavy vocal lines, which poetically portray an exhibition of the desecrated culture of the US until the track quiescently fades to silence, allowing you to bask in the introspection that was pulled with perfectly cadenced punches. AMERICAN CLASSIC is pure Avant Garde urban aggression, which goes a long way in alluding to why the slam poet rapper self-describes himself as a wild racoon in a handbag.

Stream AMERICAN CLASSIC by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Future of Hip Hop is Here: Chekmayte – What U Thought?

Posted on 26 March 2023

Avant-Garde hip-hop originalist, Chekmayte, created a subversive masterpiece with his glitchy hit, What U Thought? Filled with harsh truths, strobing synths, futuristic electronica motifs and a darkly atmospheric feel, nothing on your radar will hit the same way as this convictive hair-raising production, which exhibits the heights of the Washington DC artist’s razor-sharp lyrical prowess.

After overcoming life on the streets through sheer grit and persevering endurance, Chekmayte thrives through his music as an artist backed by Goodfellas Records. While many artists keep their influence to a singular coast, Chekmayte’s experience travelling through New York, The Bay Area, and Philly has expanded his urban palette to a scintillatingly distinctive effect. Fans of Scarface, Devin and Jadakiss will want to save space on their radar.

What U Thought? is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ride the funk-soaked tilt-a-whirl that is November Criminal’s latest alt-hip-hop single, Bouncing Back

Posted on 19 March 2023

Psych Rock and Hip-Hop rendezvoused around monocultural mould-smashing funk flavours and orchestral motifs in the latest standout feat of elevated experimentalism from the alternative multi-instrumentalist and producer November Criminal.

His latest album, Scrambled Eggs Vol. III, puts the assumption that out-there innovation always has to smack with pretension to bed and tucked it up tight in the groove pockets in the lead single, Bouncing Back.

Depicting it through words alone could never do the exhilarating aura justice; from the first progression, you will feel your mood rise with the ever-ascending notes that reach the pinnacle of high-vibe hip hop. In my book, not all too many experimental artists can stand against the creative tenacity of Mike Patton; November Criminal is enough to make even his most Avant-Garde creations resonate as pedestrian. Frankly, I’m obsessed and entirely convinced anyone with a functional soul will be too.

Check out the latest album from November Criminal via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

VITA has dropped one of the most ensnaringly Avant-Garde debuts of the year with BADBADBAD.

Posted on 28 February 2022

With her debut single, BADBADBAD., the icon in the making VITA is pushing alternative attitude and avant-garde textures into the mainstream, which is all a part of her mission to break society’s boundaries, and encourage her listeners to do the same.

If you could imagine the fierce feminine ferocity of Peaches paired with the earworm appeal of Rihanna and the extreme multidimensional artistry of SKYND, you will be able to get an idea of what the Sydney-hailing artist delivered in her arrestingly promising debut.

If the sonic gravitas isn’t enough to leave you enraptured, her determination to carry the power of her ancestry in her rebellious modern sound will be more than efficacious. Vita was named after her great aunt who died in the Holocaust; once you register the sheer juggernaut power in BADBADBAD. with that in mind, it is enough to leave you with goosebumps.

BADBADBAD. is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast