No Frills Reviews

Track of the Day provides bitesize recommendations of new discoveries and old favourites.

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Wave Generators is the coming together of two elder statesmen of alternative hip-hop. Height Keech is perhaps best known for production credits, which include Future Islands’ frontman Samuel T. Herring’s rap alter-ego, Hemlock Ernst. And Nosaj is one half of cult 90’s duo New Kingdom. As they preview their second album, due in late August, they’re assisted by ELUCID of the much-acclaimed, Armand Hammer, who drew Nosaj out of his semi rap retirement with a feature request in 2020.

Beyond Beyond is a wild, three-act psychedelic rap epic, blazing its scorched earth trail in under three minutes. With power-pop guitars ringing out like mayday alarms, Keech’s sci-fi visions of “spaceships on the White House lawn”, and Nosaj announcing himself as the extraterrestrial resurrection of Miles Davis, it begins life as an offbeat yet stadium-sized anthem. The arrival of ELUCID brings a switch-up into a whirlwind of scruffy, scuzzed-up garage blues, like a warped White Stripes. The closing moments ostensibly settle into cosmic ambience, except Nosaj chooses this as his moment to unleash an onslaught of crazed invective. Perhaps this is the sound of an alien invasion; turbulent, troubling, and totally electric.

Watch the video for Beyond Beyond via YouTube below:

Wave Generators’ new album, RUN AWAY WITH A WILD AND A RARE ONE, is available to pre-order via Bandcamp now.

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Beyond Beyond features on our Hip-Hop Highlights playlist on Spotify, featuring a regular selection of the best new rap releases.

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