Like De La Soul, Styles1001 bring a game changer with The M9 Project. It is their collaboration album with Rasar Amani, and it has some really classy tracks. There is a sense of instrumentality, rhythm, purpose and unfiltered energy. It is an effort unparalleled in effort from an indie musician.
The opening can be felt with the gravity of One of These Days. A long track, it has a narrative feel, with some intense intrinsic flow. The instrumental is a clean synth chord progression, dreamy and absolute. The beat is hard hitting, and the only punctuation needed for a song like this. Each pocket is respected for the tale it tells, and the production allows you to really focus on the kind of sound and delivery they want you to feel. It is purposeful, sharp and has an underlying brilliance you might miss if you gloss over it. With Styles1001, this should be your day long meditation.
If you’re looking for an impressive, holistic approach with rounded edges and a polished sound, The M9 Project might be your destination. Tracks like M9 Manifest and Need to Know are a reminder of the Madvillain/MF Doom days, commentary included with razor sharp verses. This is the way you conduct sound and bring an operatic theme to a genre, while respecting what it represents. Listen to the brilliant album here:
