ICHIBAN VINO. 1000

It’s mind blowing to me that this man has literally conquered it all. From producing to rapping to running successful businesses to making dope artwork to doing world tours. Not only has he been one of the founding members of revolutionising the underground scene but by keeping most of his work direct to customer has kept his worth and integrity in tact. All this to say that when I saw he made a project while in Japan on his first international tour you just know I had to purchase and see what the man had in store and I can safely say I was absolutely taken back with what I heard! Let’s talk about it! This is the brand new project by underground legend -Al Divino. 21 tracks and 44 minute run time with production from -Al Divino -lord unknown -budamunk -subjxct5 -hdnroots And this is really an album you have to experience to believe. Across the last two years we’ve heard the further evolution and stylistic experimentation from Vino. From his insane EP catalogue on Jackpot Records to his incredible ‘Justobefeelinsumin’ mixtapes and even dropping work with INF in the form of ‘SHAWBRUVAZ’ this man has been at the forefront of the culture and now he’s embracing the art, environment and atmosphere of Japan itself in this new album! I love how right at the beginning we get that vocal line ‘send money to PayPal’ because of how successful this tour was and a new Parcel London event coming soon he’s in his element, he knows his international worth and he’s not negotiating for shit! Pay him because you know his worth. On this album we get Divino’s classic raw and rough around the edges aesthetic of his vocal work mixed in the middle of that experimental/brash hip hop beats that feel more like a 90’s mix tape mix then it does a modern day record. It’s truly remarkable how he’s able to capture that old school essence into his music and make it run throughout the entire record! So many fucking elements of influence! -Soul -Funk -Jazz -Ambient -Boom Bap -Noise And everything else in between. His whole career he’s been able to blend a range of samples and sounds into one album and this new one might prove that best! Each song is a new listening experience like a sonic adventure that takes you to the 4th dimension! You’re guaranteed to never hear the same thing twice that’s just how fucking creative Divino is! I feel like you can definitely hear Vino’s amplified and refined passion and focus from the energy of Japan. This album just has that air about it! A level of confidence, extra layer of crisp! A fresh batch of creativity and strong sounds to accompany the trip. Whether it be tracks that are loud and abrasive in execution like -IS THIS YOUR CARD’ Or more mellow offerings like -SUPREMIUM LEGROOM there’s a range of options for everyone and who utilises ‘boundary pushing’ harder then him? NO ONE. One thing I’ve noticed across his later releases is that it seems he’s relaxed his vocal tones. Slowed down with the heavy almost shouting style performances and adopted a more wavy, fluent nature to his verses which I feel better blend in with his latest EP’s and modern day projects. Because it seamlessly absorbs into the music itself making it all in one! It’s that type of ambient/noise inspired mixing that makes his music always feel raw no matter how successful he gets! He’s never lost sight of who he is and what kind of artist he is. As he’s said on albums like ‘GRANDMASTERSPLASH’ ‘he’s not a rapper, he’s a producer who can rap nice!’ And he’s never forgotten that and it shows. Blend in an already eccentric character and add in the hype of a foreign country like Japan? That’s when you get diamonds like these. Whether you’re supporting via physical releases or zip from Jackpot itself! Make sure you cop and listen to a record you won’t hear anywhere else!