Swords2 - Mr. Take a Loss (2024)

Styles: Emo PluggnB, Alt Rap | US

I first heard Swords2 around the middle of last year. His unusual delivery and mixing threw me off and it took me listening again a year later to finally understand the appeal.

It was only a kiss is an unusual opener, with Swords crooning over a Mall Screamo instrumental. I don't love it and it's a strange deviation from the rest of the EP sonically, but aesthetically it makes sense to include. It definitely grew on me after a few vocals though, the exasperated are charming even with their obvious roughness. Ur killing me serves as more of an actual intro. The bright-synthed PluggnB beat is the backdrop to emotional singing and rapping. 

„Give me your love to stay

It's all just particles anyway

Oh, don't tell me not now

You have a heart of gold

I'm not a clown“

At the root of this release's appeal is exactly what makes it unappealing in the first place. The vocals are melodic yet brash, rarely using autotune other than certain moments like the chorus of I loved you. It's a very vulnerable performance, even when his voice cracks a little or he doesn't hit a note, there's just so much heart put into it. At times it nevertheless really is too much, like on the intro to Sad Clown with the ghastly yelling. The production is solid, comprised of relatively generic beats but they do their job well enough and have some nice melodies. The mixing is again raw, sounding like a freshly exported demo. This works very well though because it adds to the sensitive vocals to make them so exposed in the songs' mixes. It's more of a problem on less emotive tracks such as the above-mentioned Sad Clown or Givemhell. The songs are still good, but they would've benefited from harder hitting beats and mixing that would make them have the impact they're going for. Unbound is a stripped-back acoustic outro that almost gets uncomfortable with how exposed it feels, reminds me of Xiu Xiu.     

Mr. Take a Loss is an endearing short glimpse into the heart of its creator, accentuated by the fragile vocals and melodic production. I'm glad I gave it another chance, as it's one of the most memorable modern Plugg releases. I'll definitely listen to more of him soon, hopefully its more polished while retaining the emotion.

7.5/10

See also: Xxffcyuvcui, in53ct

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud

- kreyzi

Augustus Pablo - King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (1977)

Styles: Dub | JM

Augustus Pablo was one of the early pioneers of Dub, being a skilled multi-instrumentalist and member of multiple bands in the genre such as The Upsetters. He left behind a massive discography, with this being his 5th album. Present here is a star-studded cast of artists;

Robbie Shakespeare of Black Uhuru, 

Aston Barrett of The Wailers, 

Mixed by King Tubby etc. 

Of course, the star is still Augustus himself. He performs four of the instruments himself along with three bass players and a group of other pieces. The production throughout is wobbly, unstable but still very infectious melodically. The horns along with whatever Pablo is playing are often the focal points of songs, anchored by the deep bass. Everyone here is in top form, always keeping the playing tight and the songs sounding fresh. Of course as it's a Dub record, there is plenty of audio manipulation on each song, there always being a faint echo, phaser or something else. Despite this it never loses its footing, staying grounded and rhythmic. There's a psychedelic, almost hypnagogic quality to these recordings as they move along in a warm stupor. Older Reggae songs are occasionally sampled to create slightly haunting vocal snippets layered in echo, quickly fading into and out of the song. In general, it often feels like these tracks can fall apart at any second. It's such an atmospheric experience layered in so many sets of instruments and audio effects that it better serves as one long track. While it's very interconnected, the tracks never bleed together indiscriminately, always with a strong beginning and end to each track. It's so smooth at certain points it becomes hypnotic, coinciding with the soothing nature of it. The title track is my favorite here, originally released in '74, the dreamy melodica completes Pablo's Dub rendition of Jacob Miller's Baby I Love You So. As I've already mentioned this record has a very transcendental feel, highlighted by the sun faded vocals on songs making it feel like a Dub remix album of someone else's work. They often rise and descend in volume just as the instruments often do, giving a mysterious flavor to the record. 

King Tubbys is a seminal work in Dub and Reggae as a whole. It stands out in how much of a group effort it is, making it an even better intro to the sound. Through its multifaceted production, flow and musicianship it solidifies itself as a classic of the aformentioned genres and '70s music overall.

9/10

See also: Black Uhuru, The Upstetters, King Tubby

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp

- kreyzi

YonDivi's rating: 8

stillbeaches' rating: 8

Yabujin - Flash Desire (2019)

Styles: Cloud Rap, Art Rap, Trap, Experimental Rap | LT

Emerging as an enigma in the underground, Yabujin quickly cemented himself as one of the most intriguing artists of his era. He became notable for a distinct musical and visual aesthetic heavily inspired by early web culture, flash games, and otherworldly imagery. Flash Desire, along with a handful of other tapes from this period, forms one of the most fascinating discographies in modern rap. After gaining momentum around the turn of the decade, he suddenly wiped his internet presence in June 2022, only to return later under the moniker DJ Gyrotta Zao alongside a string of other aliases.

Angel Witta Knife is a strong start, perhaps even the best track here. The synth melody is simple yet charming, paired with a catchy chorus/verse. Drugs In Her Room serves as a dreamy, video-game-like interlude that further sets the mood. Unfamiliar Oasis boasts the most lush production on the tape, where a more prominent bassline adds to its comforting feel. There's no need to go track-by-track through the entire project, as the songs themselves aren't radically varied in format. Instead, the key appeal of this tape lies in how beautiful it is in every sense of the word. Beyond the production, Yabujin as a vocalist takes the material to another level: his singing is soft and ethereal, while his rapping remains minimalist yet quite effective. Rebus features his most accessible vocal performance on the tape:

                                    „Guardian shrooms in my room got me oozing

Never with them hoes 'cause that hoe got me losing

I ain't with them fools or the drugs that I'm choosing

Drinking holy mana and they notice what I'm doing"

Besides his Lithuanian background, Yabujin draws heavily from North Korean aesthetic iconography in his presentation. Though he has never explicitly explained why, it functions as a visual parallel to the lonely, rural atmosphere that pervades his music. It is difficult to capture in words just how otherworldly this tape sounds, especially for first-time listeners. Samples of birds and natural ambiance fade in and out, the percussion remains mellow, and the vocals are silky smooth, a dynamic best exemplified by the title track. Beyond its dense atmosphere, the production displays surprising versatility as it weaves Tread, Plugg, and other modern rap styles into its own sonic domain. This keeps the tracklist fresh without ever breaking the listener's immersion. The sound remains consistently luscious, creating an escapist listening experience that mirrors the project's thematic tone. So many familiar visual and musical concepts are flipped on their head, malformed into something occasionally unsettling, yet somehow always comforting.

Flash Desire is a modern classic and one of the most daring releases in contemporary underground rap. It successfully bridges the gap between rap, electronic music, and obscure web aesthetics to create a concise, cohesive body of work. While undoubtedly a product of its era, it remains a true musical anomaly: no one before or after has successfully replicated this exact sound, despite numerous attempts. Even Yabujin himself quickly distanced himself from the style shortly after its release. It remains music from a country that doesn't exist, a strange concoction of Eastern European nostalgia, North Korean imagery, and Web 1.0 aesthetics.

10/10

See also: [early] Death Souljah, Hi-C

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud

- kreyzi

CountSwagula's rating: 8

YonDivi's rating: 8

stillbeaches' rating: 7

A Conversation With VoidDweller

    VoidDweller is a prolific digital hardcore/experimental hip-hop artist who has been releasing music under this name since 2016. Her music is chaotic, loud, and incredibly unique. I've been following her career since around 2020 and she was a very big influence on my music taste.

 

                                     

"Voiddweller's playing at my house, my house
Everyone left yeah, their dead and now I'm alone
The apocalypse at my house, my house
Another dead body for the zone
For the zone"

 - DEATH GRIPS IS PLAYING AT MY HOUSE (ENGAGEMENT BAIT) 

 

Jenovavirus - Demo #1 (2006)

Styles: Slam Death Metal | JP

Not much is known about Jenovavirus except that they were based in Japan and only active from 2005-6. After this demo, they planned to release a 13-track debut album but for unknown reasons it was shelved. They did though release a single for it, Quickinqbioneralstinger. It's also a common mistake that their members went on to form Blunt Force Trauma, but this isn't true.

Hexelvildom is an insane opener with gurgly inhaled vocals and an infernal energy to it. The fact that they don't have an actual drummer is noticeable but I don't mind it at all, they use it to their advantage with how inhumanly fast it gets at certain parts. Across the album they incorporate a lot of blast beats, combining them with the slower crushing slams to create something very uniquely groovy. Deviding Cel and other songs use various sci-fi like sound effects throughout that give the track some extra flavor, making the music sound even more alien. I absolutely adore the guitar tone and riffs, besides that the songs also play around a lot with constantly shifting tempos. It gives a more technical edge to the demo, preventing it from getting monotonous with everything else being so abrasive and fast. Primitive Aboxy and Scimetar are as normal as this demo gets, while still maintaining the breakneck speed and energy all of the songs have. The latter features possibly the grooviest slam present near its end, it's impressive how solid the drumming sounds on it. Another important element I want to mention is obviously the vocals, credited to Sowtiis. He decides for more inhaled rather than guttural vocals and it's a really fortunate stylistic choice as it helps with the more avant-garde approach present here.

It's a massive shame they never released the full-length, I can only imagine what a more polished and ambitious release would've been like. But, as it stands, this is one of the best Slam demos ever. Unique, memorable, well-produced and tightly played. Recommended for people with a background in Cybergrind or ones just getting into Slam as a genre.

9/10

See also: Blunt Force Trauma, Vomit Remnants, Devourment 

Listen here: Bandcamp, YouTube

- kreyzi

A Conversation With Witecrow

    Witecrow is a rapper and producer from Dublin, Ireland. He has been releasing music under this name since 2024 and recently dropped his mixtape Crow Season earlier this year. Witecrow has also been producing for rapper $wagzilla, on both the single Can't Hesitate as well as $wagzilla's album Gettin' Money Gang.

 

 

                                                        "Witecrow I fucking love you"

 

Crow Season is an excellent project reminiscent of Trapaholics Mixtapes and classic Gucci Mane. My favorite tracks are Wockstar and Inna Whip.

 

xul south pacific trading co. est 1918 - Caution Tape (2024)

Styles: Jerk, Experimental Rap | US

I first heard Xul last year, being simultaneously intrigued and confused by Really and his other singles. He has a bunch of full-lengths but this is the most popular one so I decided to give it another listen for this review. 

What you'll immediately notice is the extremely lethargic delivery and surreal production. Completely unmastered, these beats very much feel like FL Studio demos but not necessarily to their detriment. Mostly Jerk, but at times veer into almost industrial territory because of their brashness. Hammerhead is my favorite song here with a hard yet stuttery beat and the closest thing to a competent flow on the tape. Losing hope freestyle fades in an out with incomprehensible rapping and messy production. Xul often reuses lyrics and has the almost exact same flow on every song, showing off the blasé mentality that pervades his music in general. He murmurs and mumbles, stumbling over himself and everything else present. 

Obviously he's off-beat for a lot of this, but sometimes not even the beat can avoid succumbing to a complete lack of rhythm. Wax face starts with this alarm-like blare at the start as it drifts away into complete carelessness and dissonance. 

Thing is one of the relatively normal tracks, with a repetitive high BPM hi-hat pattern and more 'contemporary' rapping. Maybe the word contemporary is unnecessary, as this is truly something that could not exist in Rap music before the 2020s. At best it would be a forgotten DatPiff release from the blog era, hidden away to eventually be discovered by online cratediggers. 

I don't like the majority of this album, even though a few tracks are fun. Despite this, as an entire listen it is surprisingly smooth even when remixes are placed directly after the original tracks or when his delivery becomes completely unintelligible. Maybe describing this as an album is anachronistic, viewing it as a file dump or compilation would suffice. It's grown on me a lot since I first listened, so give it a few listens if you do check it out. If you still don't get it after, that's fine. I'm not even sure I like it myself.

6.5/10

See also: babyyahweh, staymaniak

Listen here: Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

- kreyzi

$PIRIT GURLZ - 12:12 (2019)

Styles: Crushed Trap, Cloud Rap, Emo Rap | US 

Comprised of Psythoness and Y2Kri$i$, $pirit Gurlz were a defining duo of the burgeoning Crushed Trap sound in the transition to the 2020s. 12:12 is named after its length, with the release being a slightly different speed on each streaming service. I listened to it on YouTube Music but it doesn't make much of a difference.

Catscan is a cute opener, defined by a repeating MIDI-esque melody and punchy bass. Most of the songs are either Psy or Y2K rapping, only once both rapping on the same song. It's a shame as I think having them trade verses more often would've made it a more dynamic listen. If I had to choose, at least on this tape, I'd go with Psythoness.

Lyrically it's surprisingly quite well-written, mostly displaying thoughts of alienation and grief but delivered in a vague way. There's a sort of detachment described that I wish more underground rappers touched on.

They try to sing a little on some songs which doesn't really work and sounds a bit silly with the compressed vocals. Production-wise it's good, at times almost sounding like Tread but always covered in a comfortable layer of bitcrushing. An issue though is how the vocals and beat sometimes bleed together because of how similarly mixed they are, which could lead to a more ethereal feel but in practice makes it harder to appreciate the elements on their own. It often feels a bit half-baked, like the audio effects are just a cover-up for average songwriting.

This is a significant tape and does show some potential, but the execution weighs it down a lot. Their other releases from this period are of a similar quality and sound, so if you like this then check them out too. 

6/10

See also: Psythoness, Y2Kri$i$, 999 Heartake Sabileye 

Listen here: Spotify, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, YouTube 

- kreyzi

YonDivi's rating: 9

stillbeaches' rating: 5

Rushhy Bandxz - Yavage Mode (2016)

Styles: Plugg, Cloud Rap | US

Rushhy Bandxz was a notable figure in the early wave of Plugg, collabing with other popular rappers such as Chxpo and D Savage. What stood out about him was that unlike the often lethargic rapping of his peers, he had very expressive vocals steeped in echo and autotune. A year after this tape released, a 19 year-old Rushhy was sentenced to 18 years in prison for gun and gang charges.

 

Yavage Mode is a strange tape, purely because of Rushhy himself. The production is mostly standard, melodic Plugg. It's very fun and serves as a great backdrop to Rushhy and the features' rapping. It's definitely rooted in traditional Plugg of the time with work from 

the likes of Chris Surreal and Brandon Finessin. It's hosted by DJ Ayeron but he unfortunately doesn't add much besides some tags on songs. Although unusual, he still delivers a mostly accessible performance that grew on me a lot the second listen. His slurred delivery is so memorable and his flows are so loose in a way that I can only compare to Duwap Kaine. Who influenced who, I'm not sure. The features such as Yung Rizzy and Goonie help ground many of the tracks and the tape's pacing in general. Another thing I love is how often he changes his pitch during the songs, often with even stranger adlibs. It's the most unique rapping I've heard from the original wave of Plugg and the genre in general. The mood is consistently unserious, with more triumphant songs like Early and So So keeping the tone light-hearted. 

It's a shame that this and his sophomore release Rushhy Pack are all he left behind before getting locked up, but he's supposed to be free by January 8th, 2027. Hopefully when he comes out he'll eventually come back to making music. 

This tape is a defining release of Plugg's original wave and the SoundCloud era as a whole. The production is solid and the rapping is unforgettable and unique.

8/10

See also: Duwap Kaine, D Savage

Listen here: Spotify, SoundCloud 

- kreyzi

sniper2004 - i wanna be a sniperrrrr (2024)

Styles: Jerk, Trap | US

When Jerk started gaining more popularity, many rappers hopped on the bandwagon. Sniper2004 dropped this in May 2024, gaining massive amounts of popularity for a short time. 

Disco Nite has a repetitive stuttery beat with okay rapping, but the vocal loop in the background is obnoxious. With such a strange aesthetic of being a sniper, it's a shame his rapping is pretty flavorless. Sniper gonna fuk has more of a Rage-influenced beat with repeated synths but is again nothing too crazy. It does have a very smooth beat switch halfway through which has the better half of the song after. The next two tracks are standard Trap-Jerk fusions that don't really make me feel anything, even if his flows are alright on them. Rifle Crew is a slower-paced outro, with one of the better beats on the EP and good rapping. The outro monologue about him buying a sniper rifle and quitting rap is charming.

This release is okay, but suffers from a lack of originality and personality. The production and rapping on their own are mostly fine, unfortunately they don't always go together.

6/10

See also: Elibanss, MikeBrokeasf

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud

- kreyzi

DigiGhouls - My Demon Crush (2020)

Styles: Crushed Trap, Cloud Rap | US

DigiGhouls were a short-lived Rap collective spanning from 2020-21. They were pioneers in the equally brief movements of Crushed Trap and HexD. Based off some old comments, this tape was even promoted on 4chan but has since been largely forgotten by underground Rap fans. 

Imma Need is a lackluster opening track, with a repetitive MIDI-sounding pattern in the background and lethargic rapping. The mixing and recording quality on this whole release is very lo-fi and muffled, feeling like a cop-out to mask the lack of strong production, rapping or flavor. Cutie is a slight step up from the last track, with a cute melody and more melodic rapping, but it still suffers from the same issues. The rappers aren't listed on some tracks and I honestly can't tell them apart much so I'll just talk about them in general. Their rapping is mostly meandering with subpar flows, with an abysmal echo on them to boot that makes this tape ear-grating at times with how unfinished it sounds. 

GhoulParty is an attempt at a posse cut, with an okay beat but some of the worst rapping on the whole thing. They just kinda stumble over themselves and actively worsen every beat they're given. 

Baked has a distinctive beat with this strange sort of ominous synth humming in the background and louder hi-hats than usual but with the same issues in terms of mastering as usual. The hook on it sounds like it's from a Pink Guy parody from 2016 but the difference is it lacks charm. Starship is again boring but at least better in terms of production than the other ones. Jump Around! is easily the best track here with a fun beat and a simple, mildly memorable hook. 

My Demon Crush is an interesting footnote in the history of the aforementioned genres/scenes but on its own is mediocre and forgettable. The production is muted-sounding and the rapping comes off more like rambling than rhyming. It's only 14 minutes long though so you might get something more out of it than I do!

5/10

See also: Sleepy Ice, $piritGurlz, 999 Heartake Sabileye

Listen here: Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube

- kreyzi

Branko Mataja - Traditional and Folk Songs of Yugoslavia (1974)

Styles: Serbian Folk Music, Psychedelic Folk | HR/RS [Yugoslavia]

Branko Mataja was born in 1923 in Bakar, Croatia during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to a Croatian father and American mother. That same year he moved to Belgrade, Serbia where he lived until 1941 when German Nazi forces sent him to a labor camp in Germany. After the camp was liberated by American troops, he spent a year at an American military base and while there befriended many soldiers and became well-known in the base for his guitar-playing in various clubs they all frequented. He later moved to America and started a business in repairing and making custom guitars, making some for artists such as Johnny Cash and Geddy Lee from Rush. It's assumed he recorded this album and his other songs not on it in that shop. The album that came of it would stay an obscure Yugoslavian recording until it was rediscovered by a fellow Balkan-American musician David Jerković in 2005 and then subsequently rereleased by The Numero Group label.

Most of the songs here are specifically instrumental renditions of Serbian folk songs, though some other Balkan ones are also present. There's a distinct melancholy to Branko's playing, giving off the mood of feeling homesick for a country you never wanted to leave. Possibly influenced by his time in the US, there's a psychedelic or almost even Surf approach to the music, with phasers and echo completely transforming music traditionally played in group settings. It's a very lonely, but not necessarily sad record. More accurately I'd call it melancholic and longing, music of a place you have in distant memories and experiences. Faces are faded, places are blurred, you only remember what was playing in the background of them. This record's strength is not just the atmosphere but Mataja's superb musicianship, his chords linger and are played with such warmth that it feels much deeper sonically than it really is. It's easy to get lost in these old folk songs, to think of a place that no longer exists. Like a lullaby it softens my thoughts, at least for a bit, but also makes my mind race with memories and thoughts. This is all done with no vocals to speak of, making it even more impressive.

Many of the songs here are already somber in their original forms, like Da smo se ranije sreli [If we had met earlier] and others. To break up the mood occasionally, there are some more playful tracks such as Užičko kolo and the especially fast-paced Zapletnički čačak. No matter what the mood of the song is, Branko's playing never leaves much to be desired and always keeps it ethereal, even nocturnal to a degree. At times it feels like the only thing missing from these recordings is the faint sound of crickets in the background. 

Traditional and Folk Songs of Yugoslavia is an incredible introduction to Serbian and other Balkan Folk music, making it more palatable to outsiders with its Psychedelia-inspired production effects, tight playing and lack of vocals. It's a pity this was the only album he released, though he apparently did release one more on cassette at an unknown date¹. There's also the 2022 compilation Over Fields and Mountains, which has some original tracks not on this. 

Branko Mataja passed away in 2000, unaware of the appreciation his music would eventually get.

9.5/10

See also: Kola Mirka Kodića, Himzo Polovina

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp

- kreyzi

Lead Belly - "The Midnight Special" and Other Southern Prison Songs (1941)

Styles: Blues, Folk, Work Song | US

I think everyone should do themselves a favour and find the one really old Blues artist that they can be obsessed with for the rest of their life, mine is Lead Belly.

I'll be honest with you, the reader and admit I had first heard of Lead Belly through Nirvana and their covers of his music. The track Grey Goose off of this release was covered by them (with the Screaming Trees) in a bizarre, instrumental Sludge-Rock way and I was curious as to what the original sounded like. That made me stumble upon the version on this album, I saw the length of the album (only 18 minutes as it was essentially just three double-sided single discs released together) and said I might as well, then was hooked ever since

For those who need some background, Huddie Ledbetter is a folk/blues performer from Louisiana who was born in either 1888 or 1889. He was convicted of murder in 1918 but managed to get pardoned after writing a song to his local governor pleading for his freedom. 

His knowledge of local folk songs was like that of an encyclopedia, he had basically heard every obscure folk song of his birthplace of Louisiana and also his new home in Texas, some from his family member's (specifically their work on plantations), some from other local blues/country legends (Woodie Guthrie was counted among his friends) and some even from prison. Which leads us to his second prison stay for attempted murder where he was discovered by John and Alan Lomax, a father and son who were folk music collectors. It was in prison where Lead Belly heard the song that's most important for this article, The Midnight Special.

Lead Belly and the Lomaxes would travel the south collecting songs and doing talks about their work. Negro Sinful Songs and The Midnight Special were both recorded with Alan Lomax's help to varying degrees. The linear notes for both albums are massive and heavily detailed, Negro Sinful Songs had a lot embellishments however.

Lead Belly found himself back inside prison again so in the spirit of mythologising that Alan Lomax had established, they decided to make a "prison album". They gathered the Golden Gate Quartet to simulate chain-gang singers (Lead Belly allegedly had to teach them how to sing "rougher") and performed six prison songs both a cappella and with Leadbetter's 12-string accompaniment.

The Midnight Special is obviously the standout here, it's a beautifully tragic song, recorded and performed perfectly. It's about a man getting chucked in prison after getting arrested at the local train station and the prisoner hearing of his wife dying without his knowledge all the while he wishes to see the lights of the train again. A description doesn't do it justice, you have to hear the harmonies ringing in the 1940s quality microphones and the old sounding guitar to get it. Cliché I know for someone to say the low fidelity sound of a blues track makes it better but it's true. The track has been covered by Creedance and by Paul McCartney but Lead Belly's version towers high above theirs. The way his guitar subtly emulates the chugging of a train is just beautiful to me.

We then have three a cappella numbers back to back which honestly drag at points but are still enjoyable. Ham An' Eggs is my least favourite but the old school harmonies are great. Grey Goose is a sinister sounding song describing a preacher trying and failing to kill a Goose on a Sunday. Stew Ball is about a racehorse that amusingly inspired both this American folk song and an Irish one that Planxty were known to sing as well. It's easily the best of the a capella songs as it's a lot less monotonous than the other two.

We then have Pick a Bale of Cotton and Alabama Bound which are both excellent songs that feature Lead Belly's guitar playing again. Pick a Bale of Cotton is second only to the title track for its harmonies and Alabama Bound is one of the catchiest songs you'll ever hear.

Overall this is a very unique work in Lead belly's catalogue, being some of the few recordings featuring prominent harmonies and backing vocals as well as featuring the conceptual backdrop of it being a prison-themed album. If you wanna really stretch the definition then you could say this along with Woodie Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads and the much lesser known Southern Exposure by Josh White are the first ever concept albums. I wouldn't say that though. Those albums and this one are good for what they are, we don't have to recontextualise and try to seem smart for liking them. This is music at its purest, no pretentious elements at play in any way. 

„Let the midnight special, shine her light on me

Let the midnight special, shine her ever-lovin' light on me“

9.5/10

See also: Josh White, Woodie Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Almanac Singers

Listen here: Apple Music

On Spotify and other streaming services you'll find these tracks on Take This Hammer - The Complete RCA Victor Recordings

- YonDivi

YHWH Nailgun - Magazine (2026)

Styles: Experimental Rock, Industrial Rock | US

With such an unusual approach and presentation, Pennsylvania-based band YHWH Nailgun stand out amongst the crowd of contemporary Rock music with a refreshingly noisier type of music. Their debut, 45 Pounds was similarly interesting and daring, but suffered from sometimes mediocre vocals and meandering production. 

The opening track is as normal this album will get in song structure, fading into a loud tribal-like mess of yelling and powerful percussion while the synthesizers add a playful background noise. Drums pound with a simple yet dissonant rhythm, combining with the deep guitar to create a whirlwind of pain. 

After this opener, it never really slows its pace, only getting more intense as it goes on. Unfortunately, the album is only 11 minutes long so these tracks, even if they are quite good and tightly played, don't manage to leave a lasting impact but rather serve more as pieces to one larger work. They blend together to a degree, but due to the great songwriting and performances still feel like their own songs. 

The lyrics are mostly nonsensical, scatters of unsavory images all delivered with these very gravelly and menacing vocals. They're massively improved from the debut, while still maintaining the more symbolic nature. A semi-common motif is blood and related things, often blended with pagan or tribal imagery like serpents and feasts. In general this feels like a recording of old, pre-abrahamic Semetic music combined with a more modern tone, something that can be inferred from the band's name itself.

Yahweh on a whinged wheel, 
4th c. BC

Despite its short length and sometimes half-baked song structures, Magazine is an incredibly promising sophomore release that shines through the mountains of predictable schlock that gets released in Rock nowadays and often even praised. It's a massive improvement from their last album in every way you'd hope, hopefully their 3rd album is even better. 

7.5/10

See also: James Chance & The Contortions, [early] Swans

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube

- kreyzi

CountSwagula's rating: 8

stillbeaches' rating: 6.5

Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith (1995)

Styles: Singer-Songwriter, Indie Folk | US

From its very first track, Elliott Smith's 1995 self-titled is striking. The record begins with the song; Needle in the Hay, while still a beautiful song, its probably the weakest on the album for its monotonous nature. However Needle in the Hay still sets an expectation for greatness on the rest of the record, expectations that are exceeded with each following track.
Christian Brothers begins with a beautifully melodic chord progression strummed on acoustic guitar while intense but quiet drums creep into the mix. Elliot's guitar playing shifts to a bluesy, intense riff and his signature quiet angry vocals take the spotlight. With lyrics like: 

„And you think I ought to shake your motherfucking hand

[...]

Nightmares becoming so fucking clear“,

you can almost experience whatever it is that he is singing about. The anger and emotion in his music is very obvious, although it seems Elliot tries to put on a mask of apathy. Its more like a thin veil, delicate and easy to see through. Very akin to the youth culture and other musical movements of the early and mid 1990s.

Clementine, the best known track on his self-titled is a complete 180 from Christian Brothers. It doesn't hide its sincerity and it doesn't seem the least bit angry. It's a mastery in songwriting and paints a picture in ones mind like a movie. 

„They're waking you up to close the bar, streets wet you can tell by the sound of the cars.“

 

Arguably the most beautiful opening lines of any song to have ever been written. Elliot's minimal production really shines through, his simplicity is key, with only his guitar, vocal overdubs, and a tambourine going steady in the background throughout the tracks entire 2:46 runtime, he manages to create an incredibly full sound. The melodic and lyrical work on Clementine, both vocally and instrumentally, is a masterclass in songwriting. Closing with a beautiful, bluesy drop D riff. Without a doubt, I can say, Clementine is one of the greatest songs ever written.

Standout moments in this album can be found in nearly every song so I'll just make a list here:

- Swelling, loud, angry, vocal harmonies at the end of the song Southern Belle

- Unique electric guitar melody and tone, combined with beautifully blunt lyrics of Single File

- Picturesque lyricism, profound melodies and guitar solo of Coming Up Roses, and its accompanying accordion

- The dreamy delicate guitar work of Satellite

- The harmonica and dreadfully haunting melody of Alphabet Town

- St. Ides Heaven apathetic lyrics and soft percussion

- Good to Go's almost western melody and guitar work, serving as a beautiful cautionary tale, while seemingly being coated in the DNA of a self-hating Marty Robbins

- What seems to be a haunting cello appearing in the background of The White Lady Loves You More

The Biggest Lie is a great track to close this album with. Everything in this song takes a backseat to the melody, and it feels like a beautiful moment of honesty and transparency. 

„Oh we're so very precious you and I, oh I just told the biggest lie“, 

a line that seems to describe a deeply unhappy, one-sided relationship, can be interpreted in a number of ways. In a way I think this is Elliot's nervous way of telling people, 

„if you didn't like this just now, it was all a lie, nothing serious“. 

Much like the lyrics of Nirvana's On a Plain "It is now time to make it unclear, to write off lines that dont make sense, its safe to say don't quote me on that". The purpose of The Biggest Lie feels like a safety net for a singer-songwriter who just exposed their most vulnerable inner-workings through thinly-vailed apathy. The short guitar solo is also beautiful.

Elliott Smith's self-titled leaves nothing to be desired besides more Elliott Smith. It's quite beautiful. I could go into every song in immense detail, but I'm far too lazy, let the music speak for itself, listen to the masterpiece.

10/10

See also: Neutral Milk Hotel, Nick Drake, Palace Brothers, Beck

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp

- AwesomeGuy

stillbeaches' rating: 7.5

YonDivi's rating: 7

Plavi Orkestar - Soldatski Bal (1985)

Styles: Pop Rock, New Wave | BA [Yugoslavia]

Despite its rocky past and future, Yugoslavia had a flourishing art scene. It was heavily influenced by the west, especially musically like its adoption of New Wave ('Novi Talas') but also had its own musical identity to show. Along with borrowing from bigger countries, there were also various musical movements especially in the 80s, such as the New Primitivism ('Novi primitivizam') scene centered in Sarajevo, Bosnia's capital city. Unlike the other neighboring capitals like Belgrade or Zagreb, it was in a unique situation as it was on the crossroads of various nationalities and influences which led to this movement being the most interesting one that came from Yugoslavia. Plavi Orkestar (Blue Orchestra) formed in 1983, going on to cement themselves as one of the country's most essential bands.

Serving as the first single for the album, released the year prior, Suada is an emotional, ballad-like Pop Rock song led by Saša Lošić's youthful, passionate vocals. It's definitely my favorite off the album, though making it the opener is a bit of a strange choice. The iconic music video for it, filmed on a rooftop, shows off the sometimes sarcastic but still genuine and passionate attitude:

Despite ironically being one of the anthems of New Primitivism, the song was created as a parody of it, with the band's vocalist saying this in an interview:

„We were at a party and they asked us to play something local. The guitarist Mladen Pavičić and I went into the kitchen and said we were going to make a folk song, just for fun. I started with 'Ti si meni sve' [You are everything to me], and Pave jumped in with 'Ti mi daješ sve' [You give me everything]. We wrote the song just messing around, and since it was a folk song, we gave it a folk name, 'Suada'. We went back out and sang the whole song. By the end of the evening, we had played it 20 times.“  

Another song highlighting the more genuine side of the band, Bolje biti pijan nego star ["Better to be drunk than old], is the second single released for the album. The song's chorus almost satiricizes the rest of the song, with its lyrics about a girl waiting for the protagonist outside a high school, contrasting the theme of old age. Another thing it shows off about the album is how it's more influenced by Bosnian folk music, in this song and others. It's a nice detail that gives the album a lot more flavor aside from the standard Pop Rock production. Kad mi kažeš Paša [When you tell me Paša] is the best example of this, being a stripped-down acoustic but still incredibly catchy recording. It ends with one of the most beautiful parts of the album in terms of production and melody, with a dreamy guitar capping it off.

Goodbye Teens is another ballad about aging but this time mostly sung in English, steeped in late-teen melancholy and slightly cheesy synths.

The other side to this spectrum are the more macho-like, Rock-leaning tracks that still maintain the anthemic nature of the record. They're partially influenced by the vocalist's time in the military, shown in the lyrics. Examples like (Medena curice) Daj mi vruće rakije [Sweet little girl, give me some hot rakia] and others help keep the album varied and are among some of the best in pure energy and songwriting. The guitar, bass and drums, are mostly very bouncy yet jerky, showing off the New Wave influence and giving many tracks amazing grooves. 

Soldatski bal is one of the defining records of Bosnia and Yugoslavia as a whole. I adore the songwriting, singing and especially vocal performances on it and think it best shows off the spirit of New Primitivism more than any other band did. 

9/10

See also: Zabranjeno Pušenje, Crvena Jabuka, Prljavo Kazalište

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube

- kreyzi

Dealers Of God - Flesh Bill Clinton Humanoid Skeleton (2024)

Styles: Ambient Crunk, Experimental Rap, Neo-Psychedelia | AU

Dealers of God are an Australian Hip-Hop group that essentially defy standard categorisation (despite my efforts). If I were to attempt to describe their previous works it'd basically be like perfectly synthesised, surreal, hypnagogia through hip hop. They sample plenty of other music and their lyrics work off of dream logic but with a focus placed on dealing and consuming drugs. Their music exists in a perfect haze of intentional stupidity and musical genius at the same time.

Their third, and in my opinion, greatest album is Flesh Bill Clinton Humanoid Skeleton. Released on 9/11 of 2024, the album's lyrics tackle conspiracies revolving around Bill Clinton. The group's bandcamp page for example claims by listening to the album, a grand conspiracy passed on through shady cabals will be revealed. By the end of the album I was left none the wiser as to what Bill Clinton did or what's going on. Or how they got Roger Eno on this.

This album, if I were to compare it to anything, would be a sort of messed up, Australian version of Soundtracks For The Blind by Swans. Heavily electic, bizzare unfulfilled concept, completely experimental and lots of sound collages. Don Salsa and Lil B's  Rain in England also come to mind

Like all good hiphop albums, the intro to Flesh Bill Clinton's opening track starts with a little foray into black metal. This is interrupted by an announcer welcoming the group, someone shouts out "the fucking transit system" then the track turns into a Michael Bay movie trailer for the band before turning into a minimalistic IDM track that makes use of random samples to string together sentences, a documentary clip on drugs dealers and what they do. Then we hear a field recording clip of the group walking around somewhere with the memorable quote "Y'know, I remember Bill Clinton". This is all in a 4 minute track, which is credited to Bill Clinton and is on the front of his official Spotify page. We then segue into the Neo-Psyche Krautrap track "The Green Ketamine" which is most similar to the groups previous works. The group has dubbed this style of music as "ambient crunk".

Next is the 38 minute epic "Alien Shaft" which shamelessly samples Pink Floyd's famously long Echos. Their first work "Visions of Fuel" was notable for its excellent use of samples to create new and exciting music in its own right, whereas the following "Dealer's Choice" was more focused on furthering the group's ambient crunk style, basically being a massive, dreamlike haze. Alien Shaft takes both these elements to their ultimate limits. It's like the Finnegans Wake of ambient crunk. 

Alien Shaft is for you, the reader, to experience yourself without spoilers and that goes for the rest of the album honestly. I could go through my own amateur musicological breakdown of every track but that'd just ruin the fun. Although I must spoil that there's a section that's literally a random bad quality recording of a foreign ad with royalty free music in the background, probably the most bold part of the album. I know this is stupid to say but that blew my mind.

In a world of 40 year old rappers taking up space and noise pollution drain gang wannabes, Dealers of God stand out as a one of a kind hip-hop project and Flesh Bill Clinton Humanoid Skeleton is the ultimate release by them. If "Post-rap" ever becomes a real genre this would be a go-to example of it

Give the track "Humanoid Skeleton" a go because that's a masterpiece. It makes me almost cry but still manages to be really funny. Give the whole album a go, I mean SURELY something I've described has piqued your interest.

I'll link a really good interview the group gave here from Los Junk Dealers. They're legit, look them up, on Google 

10/10

See also: p.rosa, Johnathan Citizen, Celestaphone, The Crooked Yet Fabulous Onion

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Bandcamp

- YonDivi

xaviersobased - install (2022)

Styles: Jerk, Plugg, Cloud Rap, Experimental Rap | US

Xaviersobased caught my eye in early 2024, since then he's easily become my favorite rapper of the decade. Only gaining significant popularity in 2022 after this tape released, he has already cemented himself as an important figure in the underground and someone who I believe will get cited as an influence by new rappers by the end of the decade. 

The intro is such an immediate flashbang sonically, with the dark synths and xavier's frantic, freestyled rapping. I especially like how in the last 20 seconds the song starts to feel more 'compressed' as his rapping speeds up and the beat gets more distorted. There's a few styles presented on this album, with this track showing off the more Dark Plugg-oriented, manic approach. 

After that, a is a much more cloudy and laidback cut, as the production is much more stuttery and light sounding. Xavier also showcases another type of vocal style here, with it again sounding freestyled but much more carefree and ethereal. As the hi-hats and snares fall over each other overlapping, so do Xavier's layers of rapping.

The variety is one of the elements that makes this tape so addicting and relistenable despite not having much traditional 'substance' or being particularly emotional. Besides the production, Xavier's energy or lack thereof elevates the mood to a special experience. Satanic has one of the most memorable flows of the album, with a simple but really fun rhyme-scheme. 

„Boy, I hop up in the V and boy, this shit is automatic 

Disappear like a magician, nigga, I ain't doing hat tricks 

I go coo' with the glick, nigga, I be going manic 

Nigga, yeah, I'm blowing up, nigga, volcanic 

My bitch, yeah, she Hispanic and she say that I'm gigantic 

Hell yeah, bitch, I'm smoking flower, nigga, yeah, I smoke botanic 

Hell yeah, bitch, yeah, it's organic 

Up it on him, he gon' panic 

Yeah, these niggas fiending to be different, so thеy turn Satanic 

They gon' sink just like Titanic 

Water splash, ocеanic, uh 

Sorry, baby, if I'm not romantic, uh 

Pass the choppa, nigga, 

I be moving frantic 

Yeah, the way I'm going up, you'd think I was aerodynamic“  

With these three tracks, you basically have the formula of the tape and every track is an example or a mix of one of these styles. I describe it at the start of this review as 'Jerk, Plugg, Cloud Rap' but what makes Install such a landmark release is that it encompasses so many styles of the underground up to that point along with the newer sound of Jerk combined with relevant Plugg subgenres (e.g. Dark Plugg). I'm inclined to describe it as Internet Rap before everything else as it is truly music that couldn't exist before this decade and generation. 

Enough shows off another trait of this albums production, which is how a lot of the production sound primarily composed of stock plugins in FL Studio or Audacity. This could sound like a bad thing, but in reality this album sounding almost sterile at times clashes with the compositions themselves and the rapping which leads to a very unique sound that I can barely even find on his other projects, let alone other rappers' music. The mixing helps too as it makes his vocals pop out more among the beats and they're more chaotic due to it too. Because of how short the songs mostly are on this, they don't have much changes throughout but the way this flows makes the album have a sort of breakneck speed to it. Songs sometimes cut in and out, stop and begin again. 

Another unusual thing I love about the production is how stilted the production is, namely the bass. It's usually very deep so it contrast well with the pianos and synths and it all comes together to give a very distinct rhythm to a lot of the songs, making it flow very smoothly. Another unique attribute of this tape is the contrast in a lot of it, whether it be the beats and vocals or the elements of the beats themselves. Despite this contrast, they also complement each other greatly. Xavier's sometimes off-beat vocals wobble over these stock plugin soundscapes with roaring bass and glass synths. The few features, especially st47ic on pro and con help break up the pace, though the Polo Perks one doesn't really fit its song. It's a well-sequenced release, managing to fit 16 songs in a bit less than half an                                                          hour, ending with the main hit. 

Patchmade is the Genesis of the current underground, the 2020s equivalent to Lil B's 2010 classic I'm God. Kashpaint, a now semi-forgotten producer provides a messy, dreamy Jerk beat while Xavier drops some of his most iconic bars as he states his self-fulfilling prophecy,

„Hoppin' on my type beats, you my offspring“

So based.

10/10

See Also: st47ic, Zayguapkid, phreshboyswag, tenkay, 1c34

Listen Here: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud

- kreyzi

stillbeaches' rating: 7.5

A Conversation With Tombfell

        Tombfell is a 23-year-old Appalachian rapper and producer. He is notable for his unique sound, taking inspiration from rural living, witchcraft, cloud rap, and plugg. Tombfell's singles how far would u fly and Farrawayy are great showcases of his style. 

 

    Dead Fawnz is among my favorite songs from Tombfell. It is a danceable, bitcrushed trap romance song.  Sentimental emotions clash with more abstract imagery to create a musical atmosphere uniquely Tombfell. 

"Real life dead fawnz and dirty shoes 

 dead eyes, real highs I see the view, 

look up, pink sky, I saw the moon 

I put it in my pocket when I thought of you. " 

 

A Conversation With Juneforever/777Forevermore

    Juneforever/777Forevermore is a prolific underground artist, veteran member of Elfaction, and an early voice in Baroque Digicore. Forevermore began releasing music in early 2022 and has had a consistent output since, releasing a number of projects. 

Web-Style Baroque: Beautiful Digicore of the Post-Covid Age~

    Web-Style Baroque, alternatively known as Baroque Digicore, is a development in the sound of post-quarantine Digicore that has been growing in internet music scenes since ~2023, pioneered by the Elfaction collective and most notably lostrushi/Lucy Bedroque. Named for its complex arrangements more reminscent of classical ballads than traditional hip hop and by an aesthetic influence from Lithuania rapper Yabujin and his 2020 Baroque EP, the genre is defined by intricate DAW compositions, feminine, auto-tuned vocals, and nostalgic emotional atmospheres. Often characteristic of the genre too are aesthetic influences from visual novels and samples sourced from 2000s DSI soundtracks. Key releases within the genre include Lucy Bedroque's 2023 tape Sisterhood and Fête de la vanille EP (2024), Zayok's From Zay With Love, Lucy Bedroque friend and collaborator Sayako's 2024 record Melancholy; Hot or Cold ? and fellow Elfaction collective member 7Nightz's Enlightenment I EP (2024). 

Notable Artists:

Lucy Bedroque - Fête de la vanille (2024)

    Most famous within the scene is Los Angeles producer/
singer-songwriter Lucy Bedroque, known previously as lostrushi prior to late 2023. Beginning their musical career over underground rap Discord servers, early singles like Maple, Triplet, and most famously True Perspective showcase his early use of high-pitched, autontuned vocals, sentimental/emotive moods and cover art featuring anime girls. Their 2023 debut tape, Sisterhood, would be influential on the Baroque Digicore sound (especially so with the intricate arrangements of tracks Take Me Back and Infinitude / Uroboros), though the sound would be truly defined by 2024 tracks Sweet Pitcher, How to Pretend and Knot Me, released on the Amy and Fête de la vanille EPs respectively. The tracks are characterized by layered and progressive arrangements - very skillful and intricate DAW arrangements, - with How to Pretend in particular likely being the biggest song the scene has seen yet. With later releases like 2025's Unmusique, Lucy seems to have shifted from the Baroque Digicore sound to a more rage adjacent sound, though those 2024 EPs and Fête de la vanille in particular are essential documents to the sound of the genre. 

Elfaction:

    Friend and collaborator of Lucy Bedroque, Sayako began releasing music in 2022, frequently working with 7Nightz which, alongside Juneforever, Junshi, Pegasisflame, Syrgn, and others, formed the #Incestboyz collective, a group which laid the foundation for what would later become the Elfaction collective. Sayako’s early music was influenced heavily by EDM, often using bouncy basslines characteristic of such music alongside samples sourced from JRPGs. Sayako’s visual aesthetics made use of the anime aesthetics Elfaction and the genre is associated with and have remained largely unchanged over time. Sayako’s debut album Melancholy, Hot or Cold?~ released December 27, 2024, serving to be a major milestone for Sayako and Elfaction, propelling Sayako and the collective into an amount of popularity the group had yet to see before. In 2026, Sayako released his mixtape With Undying Love, and Chocolates.

ზ ზ ზზზზ ზ ზ ზ ზ ზ ზზზ ზ ზ ზ ზ

    7Nightz (also known as Nightz, Jxrdann, and Güaard) is a prolific artist in the Eflaction scene and a pioneer of the Baroque Digicore genre. Beginning his career in late 2021, his music takes inspiration from Yabujin and JRPG/visual novel soundtracks distinctive of the scene. 7Nightz’ early aesthetic is notable for its single titles with illegible fonts and hentai/JRPG visuals for cover art, much like Sayako. Nightz' Enlightenment I EP (released November 3, 2024) makes use of acoustic instrumental and airy production, alongside beautiful and sentimental atmospheres. The tape is unique for its more traditionally hardcore rap vocals combined with higher, sulkier sing-song vocals. In 2025, 7Nightz made a noticeable shift in his aesthetic, taking inspiration from Alice in Wonderland and medieval art. The Letter Demos mark a change in musical style for 7Nightz. Instead of the JRPG soundtrack style hewas best known for, The Letter Demos make use of classical instruments to create an almost oppressive atmosphere contrasted with elegant strings and high pitched vocals. The lyrics primarily revolve around themes of the occult and romance. His new style feels like a progression of the sound debuted by Enlightenment I.

    Elfaction has numerous members aside from Sayako and 7Nightz. Most notably Datealyfe and Kumosai are all current members who contribute a lot to the scene's monthly listeners. 777Forevermore/Juneforever stands out among Elfaction for his wavier, cloud rap inspired sound, described as "Heavenly scapes tinged with dark ambiance" on Spotify. Tracks such as cleric display his sound well, though Juneforever's music can differ from the sound of Baroque Digicore. 

Further listening:

Zayok - In Elsewhere (2025)

    GlitchnB artist Zayok released his debut record From Zay 
With Love  (released November 25, 2023) at only 14 years old, though the music displayed sounds that of a much more experienced producer. Taking cues from the music of Lucy Bedroque alongside classic R&B, 2010s DAW electronica à la Clarence Clarity and Mid air Theif and earlier quarantine-era Digicore. Track 6, i still mean it now, is particularly emblematic of the Web-Style Baroque sound due to its extended string intro and digitally modified vocals, which build to a dense and cathartically produced drop, characterized by hard-hitting drums, piercing guitar and glitchy production chops. Despite lacking the popularity of Lucy Bedroque or Sayako (also not sharing the same East Asian-influenced aesthetics), the record establishes itself as a staple within the genre for it for its instrumental variety, intricate production, and progressive songwriting. In Elsewhere (2025) and the Oh! Give me something to Believe in single (2026) maintain their roots in the Baroque Digicore sound while also innovating within Zayok's sound, pulling from lesser used styles such as the LA Beat Music of Flying Lotus and UK Bass and UK Garage music (Zayok currently has the album cover for dubstep/future garage classic Untrue by Burial as his YouTube profile picture, further supporting the influence from UK electronica). 

    Other notable artists include California's bappy, notable for their Empty Stomach, Wilting Faith EP (2025) and Miami's roachg1rl, of whom her Watchme single has been reviewed here. Artists adjacent to the scene include Twikipedia and Kuru.

- stillbeaches & CountSwagula

matt proxy - trojan horse (2026)

Styles: Art Rap, Experimental Rap | US

Matt Proxy's been one of the leading figures in the more artistic, eclectic side of the underground the past year or so. His debut mixtape, Horse Play showed some interesting ideas and production prowess but due to its short length wasn't quite as fleshed out as its ideas were interesting.

Man, we gon' play my man matt proxy real quick...

5, with fakemink, is a great start as it blends an Indie Rock intro which then transitions gracefully into a solid shared verse from Proxy and Fakemink. It also has some of the best writing from the album, like:

„It's like my mind is stuck in rear view 

It's like you tryna speak, 

I can't really hear you 

[...] 

Does the prison system really deserve to execute? 

'Cause what if them niggas got you for shit you didn't do? 

Does the homeless man outside desеrve your attitude? 

'Cause hе got some values even though they don't matter to you“

It's more of a conscious bent than the rest of the album, which he unfortunately doesn't return to aside from a few more tracks. 

STARS is much more daring production and rapping wise with an excessive amount of distortion and compression, until it segues into a more somber tone while maintaining the braggadocious lyrics. It's an example of this album's main problem, it simply doesn't know what it wants to do. Does he want to do hard-hitting Trap, Rock fusions, Sample-based introspective songs or whatever other ideas he presents here. Especially due to their short lengths, they often feel clunky and mismatched. I'm sorry for making such a tired comparison, but it feels very inspired by what Jpegmafia was doing on All My Heroes Are Cornballs, but Matt doesn't have the decade long tenure that Jpeg did when he made it, so he's not nearly as good at synthesizing all of it. I'm not even reaching with this comparison, as a feature from him was teased for the album but got scrapped, though he does end up doing the tag I named this part of the article after, which is repeated a few times across the album.

The next few tracks again delve into various subjects though big parts of them are repetitive and it leads to them just passing by without much of an impact, obviously not the goal with how grandiose they get at times. 

The run from BLUE to LOVE&ADDICTION is easily the best part of this record. The production is tasteful with some of his best rapping present too. A strange detour during it is NEVER KILL YOURSELF, a solo never goodbye song. It's decent and charming, but a strange addition to the tracklist.

Blue has a heartfelt tribute to his deceased sister near the end, and LOVE&KILL has one of the best, albeit short, verses on the project:

„Know I keep my distance, I got tunnel vision 

Feel it in my veins and ribs and heart 

I took my bones and ripped through a mental prison 

I know that I'm chose so they meant to listen“

I think Proxy, at least on this record, is at his best when he has something to say but doesn't try to be too pretentious, instead just trusting the listener to understand and enjoy it without needless gimmicks.

The closer GOD is another very well-written track in which he speaks more about his childhood, past struggles and his future as an artist. 

Trojan Horse shows a lot of promise, but it often falls short in its execution. I do have a strong belief that Proxy will keep perfecting his craft and eventually release something truly great.

7.5/10

See also: Fakemink, Jpegmafia

Listen here: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Bandcamp

- kreyzi