THE ALCHEMIST Vinyl & CDs

Review: Once known as the technical wunderkind of alt hip-hop collective Odd Future, the ascension of Earl Sweatshirt to incomparable outlier status as a wordsmith very much in his own lane, has been a muted spectacle to behold. Celebrating the tenth birthday of Doris (his acclaimed major label debut released in 2013) earlier this year in front of a sold out KOKO just a stone's throw (no pun intended) from our offices, the anniversary show was immediately followed by a mass exodus down to Camden's Jazz Cafe where a limited club experience teased material from the much-pondered collaborative project with legendary producer and long-time Earl affiliate The Alchemist. Currently available to stream while vinyl continues to be pressed, Voir Dire exudes a lackadaisical, dare we say positive demeanour across its brief half-hour runtime, with Earl unpacking his fading twenties, preparing for his encroaching thirties and delving into the shift in perspective that comes with fatherhood. Brimming with both artist's trademark flourishes of drugged out, apathetic delivery and chopped, screwed and warped jazz and soul samples, the subtle coalescing of styles results in a work that's equal parts enlightening yet understated, while long-time collaborators/friends Vince Staples and MIKE both offer standout appearances.

Review: Elusive former Odd Future wordsmith Earl Sweatshirt celebrated the ten year anniversary of his seminal 2013 major label debut Doris back in August to a sold out crowd down the road from our offices in KOKO. Directly after the show had finished, the mass would march down to the Jazz Cafe for an exclusive club night where teasers were unveiled of the long-gestating collaborative album with esteemed, multi-generational hip-hop producer The Alchemist. Already streaming while vinyl currently sits on the presses, Voir Dire offers a reliably hazy, laid back yet subtly esoteric collection of forward thinking, muted bangers; breathing with the same sonic ambivalence of a project such as Madvillainy, while the mainstay features from Sweatshirt alumni MIKE and Vince Staples aid in grounding the work within the ever-expanding tapestry of Earl's output.