REVIEW: CON SOLO – THE CRIMSON FUTURE: PART ONE (2014)
Con Solo is an artist featured with the Catch Wreck music collective. The unit is comprised of DJ *hitmayng and CRASHprez, both artists are well connected to the Milwaukee and Madison hip-hop community. Last year at UW-Madison’s Revelry Festival, CRASHprez opened for Chance the Rapper. This year both DJ *hitmayng and CRASHprez will be sharing the stage with Waka Flocka Flame at the celebration on May 3rd. Crimson Future: Part One is Con Solo’s new release and one of Catch Wreck’s most recommended albums.
The album opens with the oceanic and atmospheric track “The City of Gemini”. The track flourishes to an experimental jungle beat a la Aphex Twin. “Futura Alterna” begins with a reverbed pulse and transitions to a glitchy cadence with wordless vocal samples filling the background. “Loading” proceeds with more digital ambiance. Half way through a baroque beat featuring samples of snaps, snare drums and cymbals spearheads the song. “Beautiful Jay” features a splendid breakbeat with reverbed hits. A low frequency melody plays as this occurs; it could sound at home in a DJ Shadow song. The album ends with “Saving”. It features a calming piano line, echoing percussion and a pulse heavy with hi-hat work.
The concept behind the album provides a thought-provoking idea to contemplate while listening: society has become a dystopia and the decision of how to carry on has become onerous. The album as a whole is a mix of relaxing electronic ambiance and compelling rhythmic components. It is not difficult to see why this album comes endorsed.
Rating: 8.0/10
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