12. KuedoSeverant
This album was such a breath of fresh air for me. For Jamie [Teasdale, Kuedo] to step well out of the limelight for a few years, after Vex’d, and then come out with a completely different, cohesive, amazing record, is no small achievement.
After hearing and knowing his Vex’d material really well I was surprised by how Severant sounded, but since much of it was inspired by more minute movements within the development of rap production in the years leading up to its completion – which is a scene I wasn’t paying much attention to at the time – the surprises ended up being manifold. The production on it is immaculate; you can hear the effort and thought that went into it, particularly with the melodies. They feel very considered.
When I listen to tracks like ‘Ant City’, I imagine myself standing on top of a really tall building, a skyscraper; feeling the wind nearly blow me away, only to look down and seeing all these tiny creatures down below. How it makes me feel huge and powerful, and tiny and fragile all at once. I’ve never seen Blade Runner, so that sonic reference point has really passed me by, but when a record can paint a mental picture as vivid as that, it’s done a special job.
