I was going through old music of my favourite artists and came across this. After their last big album drop together as a duo, ‘THE LIGHT THAT YOU CAN’T DIM’, I knew I wanted to go back and reminisce on their classic era that got them to the dance, and so we end up here, with one of MANY albums that helped build and shape them into what they are today! Let’s talk about it!
This is the June 2018 drop by MC’s Estee Nack & Al Divino with production from
-haNN_11
-Al Divino
And with just 22 minutes and 7 tracks to an outside, it may seem like this is too short of a project to make anything substantial, but to those I just say ‘wait and see’ because no one makes big-time drops like these two!
As expected, right from the drop, we are thrown headfirst into some of the most atmospheric and heavy music you’ll ever hear incorporated into the hip-hop world.
With this tribal vocal chant that slowly evolves into this methodically paced ambient fever dream that includes these long and drawn-out chord progressions with these sporadic drum sounds in two variations. One in a more rhythmic pattern, the other more free-lance! I also love how the track ends with further tribe-style chants!
On track two, we have a more darker instrumental with those slow-paced guitar strings combined with those subtle chord progressions that have a distorted quality to them and what sounds like some static noise to top it all off!
Towards the half-end of the track, there’s this sci-fi UFO sound effect that’s thrown in there that I thought was an interesting sonic choice with even more vocal chants towards the end of the song!
On track three, we have this distorted funk track (underground edition). Those plucked strings have a heavy depth to them that feels hypnotic in their execution! On top of that, we have this strange high-pitch sound throughout the track in the background that helps compliment the strings!
I love how on this track, Estee is caught saying ‘This beat sounds like you’re getting your car fixed’
On track four, we have this track that has a few key elements I found interesting. The first is that high-pitched notes that are in the forefront of the track combined with these rumbling bass strings that have some of the lowest pitch I’ve seen bass have!
I love how they just use these two factors combined with some heavy ambient atmosphere to create a banger of a track. It further proves that as long as Estee and Al are on the track, you really can’t go wrong!
On track five, we have one of the more mellow cuts on the whole track (and maybe my favourite track on the whole album) because this one has a faint jazz influence with initial jazz horns at the introduction of the track, which comes in and out throughout the song that later evolves into those spacey keys, luscious drum beats, and a slight shimmering sound effect that brings a new level of texture to the whole song!
On this one, there’s also ending tribal vocals! I feel like that’s the key element across all the songs on here is those vocals; it gives the record a stronger aura because of it!
On track six, we have a song that reminds me of Dracula’s castle. With those cinematic-style organ chords, surreal strings, and what sounds like dark synth chords in the background, making this song feel grand and haunting. If Dracula were a hip-hop artist in the culture, this would be his soundtrack! It’s brooding and sinister in its presentation while simultaneously being one of the most skeletal tracks on the album!
And did you guess it yet? More chilling vocals! This album is absolutely insane for doing this. It feels like I’m chilling with Tibetan monks as they chant!
On the finale track we actually get another groovy edition to the album! This one feels like ‘Gorillaz’ on crack. It’s got this dark club vibe to it with those heavy handed and sharp chord progressions that have this sickening feel to it as well as those stripped back drums that help give this track it’s overall funky feel to it (but in an unsettling tone) it’s quite an infectious way to close the album off!
And how ironic that this is the ONLY track on the whole album that doesn’t feature those chants? That’s quite a curve ball added that I found interesting!
When you get 22 minutes of Estee and Al going back to back on any album you know your in for treat but across these mesmerising tunes they sound even better then normal. Words can’t describe the vibe and aura that these two men had during those few years 2018-2020 they breathed life into a culture that no one has done since and this album is one of many examples of how!
Across this whole tape we see the various characterises of both men from Estee’s smooth and cunning flow and exciting penmanship to Al’s more aggressive, raw and in your face approach that played as the ‘Yang’ to Nack’s ‘Yin’ that has made their chemistry untouched since day one!
I loved hearing their legendary synchronicity the trust they have in each other to knock out their respective verses! The way they can read each others mind musically and creatively and create music that resonates with the both of them simultaneously!
Whenever you have these two on the mic although features have worked out in the past they really don’t need any! They are more then enough to keep the audience engaged and entertained and to hear their trademark chemistry whether it’s over one album or ten they never get old!
Make sure you check this one out. It’s $45 on Estee’s bandcamp (which I will link below) but it’s so fucking worth it you’re gonna have to trust me on that!
https://esteenack.bandcamp.com/album/veda
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 