Yet another proof that music revolves around and is about our daily lives...
I'm going to assume that we’ve all listened to and collectively taken-in and brewed the Loux & MorseKode's new offering of a handful alternative, organic-hip hop and classical jazz-rap mixture by now and enjoyed it in full. (*if you haven't, i suggest you get it on the link below)
That's all fine and dandy, we never say no to some great verbal ear-candy. But what if you didn't really need the most bleeding-edge, the Sowetan MC/Producer has to offer?
Well we're all big boys right? and, the "Ambience" series a consice, 5 track EP over an array of MorseKode's’ finest beats engineered and recorded by SPeeka, Loux manages to offer a snapshot of two lives in sharp greyscale...This offering finds the artist in referential state of mind where he touches on a variety of topics and subjects, such as self actualization, love and for the children yet not limited to everyday and personal politics...
1. Welcome to the Blues Room (Feat. KT’yana)
The production on the first track puts on a great representation of the tape’s sound and style with the set of its classical blues theme of the flute playing over and over and throughout the whole song with KT’yana vocals in the background between the verses.
Welcome to the blues room, a poetic, introspective and boisterous journey yet heartfelt as he explores his ambivert personality, ride along. The reflection of the rap game on his behaviour and choices he's made throughout his life and those that made him. The responsibility that comes with rapping for your fans and for more than a revenue!!
As far as the sound, it could be an actual reference to the top-class live music venue, the Blues Room in Joburg, Sandton. Pour a drink and be one with the habitat…
2. Vapours
Okay, I guess this is the “real” intro for the EP and re-introduction in the rap spots with verbal gymnastics. The laid back production style is really smooth, the brooding instrumentals are dope af, damn!! This is a short track with one verse under a bong cloud of weed fragrance inspired writing as a reminder that he's still the man:
"No remorse I foresee no reprieve either/
I feel the force, I am Yoda in a wife-beater/
A site see-er seeing eye dog, impaired vision/
I see A lot of you in I God we ain't different/
A tandem that will tango on intangibles/
I'm not a sambo trading fists in sight of witnesses"
The Star Wars wordplay references hidden inside the barrage of internal rhyme schemes, this is a jewel...
3. Eleanor
If “God is love/my candle” suppose when you can see ‘love’ literally see it with your own eyes, you see God. And sometimes it can be in a form of a person. After all who are we to judge, we don't know who anybody is, so who is God, why can't she be God?
This draws a close comparison to Anyways, the outro to this song resembles and samples Infektist verse on “Olwangempela” from “The Craft”, the previous masterpiece collaboration LP with SPeeka.
4. Offspring Pt. 1(Feat. Vic)
Dedication song in a form of a letter rapped over a played keyboard and hi-hats to his 2 year old King. He also jokingly stresses the paranoia of relationships setbacks and paternity issues most fathers have to deal with.
5. Morsekode
The last track. Throughout the tape, we've seen Loux flexes his significant lyrical abilities while still remaining directly and uncompromisingly honest on MorseKode's dreamy-like instruments that sounds perfect for this combo.
This track is a pure testament that this partnership in music is more than just beats and bars.
Loux closes the tape with style, decoding Morse code as he recognises himself as more of Huey than he is with T'Challa - The Real Black Panther founder and leader, Huey Newton. Told y'all there's politics in this, more power to the people!!
OUTRO
"The Ambience EP" is an incredibly intelligent tape. Though it is a short listen, there is a lot to listen out for. It's easy to imagine the performance of this tape in a live setting. And I'm looking forward to a full length project from these two!!
I hope Loux doesn't hate me for the labels and all, not to mean harm but had to be done, at least break it down for the inspired aspiring artists to find and see the intricacies and styles to approaching songwriting and just about creativity as a whole.
Yourz Truly
Shabba_Pen
Download and Stream on the link(s) below and don't forget to leave a comment:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/rxzCrz78xv4
AudioMack: https://audiomack.com/album/speeka-thapelo/the-ambience-ep
Datafilehost: https://www.datafilehost.com/d/96b74a18
https://dbr.ee/ZSqH
Loux Artiste on SOTRA Cyphers: https://youtu.be/pBouBT9PppA
