release date: May 19, 2023
format: digital (18 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,77]
producer: Freddy Konfeddy et al.
label: Kosmokrator Records- nationality: Denmark
Track highlights: 2. "Sult" - 3. "Sober sæbeopera" - 5. "Skejs Kejser" - 6. "Pop Pop" - 8. "Flex" - 9. "Metalhjertet" - 10. "Narkosalg" - 12. "Mordersang" - 13. "Fra den sunkne bys slimede gader rejser den dekadente titan Mest Mefisto sig" - 14. "Phallos" - 16. "Enten eller" - 17. "Far"
Studio album debut by Danish hiphop and rap-collective Evigby led by songwriter and lead vocalist Laurits von Undall, who previously released released music under the name of John Tonic. The album is in essence a conceptual album blending what appears as sci-fi storytelling put in a contemporary setting with focus on social awareness. It's by no means a traditional Danish hiphop or rap outing and it seems more directly inspired by various US hiphop and rap artists without being mere copy. The lyrics are all held in Danish, and the music is hard to narrow in, but lyrics and music put together, really makes this an original cocktail. The music is first and foremost built on hiphop and it's electronically founded but there's nevertheless also a strong will to experiment with traditional instrumentation, which provides a refreshing mix of styles, although, the strong vocal performance never suggest anything but hiphop. Laurits showcases a natural ear for rap flow and rhyming, yet there's still focus on the aspect of storytelling. Some songs are executed via a mature sense for what works melodically and from a musical perspective, other songs are more one-dimensionally structured around the lyrical side. The narrative is centrered on John Tonic and his hood, their experiences with drugs and (easy) money, John's connection to the underworld, and then on another level the narrative reveals John's aspirations as well as parts of his upbringing and adolescence.
With John Tonic & metalhjertet, Evigby provides us with a refreshing new take on a Danish hiphop tradition, which expands boundaries with a new mix of styles. Ultimately, this collection of songs and the conceptual idea also points to what purpose it serves to put Evigby in any genre category - to cite Louis Armstrong freely: "there's no such thing as style - there's only good or bad!" And to tell you the truth: this ain't bad at all! What's a real shame though, is the local and national radio stations' near complete neglect to play what matters instead of playing what some powerful labels and a few distributors think people oughta listen to. Another thing restricting a more solid distribution of the music by Evigby is the fact that the album has not been released for download or in any physical format. The album exists only on Splotify, on bApple Music, and on Soundcloud, but it's really a recommended listen and one of this year's most exciting Danish releases.
[ Gaffa.dk 4 / 6 stars ]
