Review: "Soul Glitch" Album by Blac Samurai
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Chicago based rap artist Blac Samurai features fine philosophical flows that are pure fire on the lush “Soul Glitch”. Everything about this album offers a fully immersive unique experience, from the careful cadence of his verses to the cloudy, dreamy atmospheres that he sculpts with care. A neat mixture of trap meets vaporwave; there is an intensity to the album.
Melodies weave their way through the entirety of the album and it is best taken in as a singular whole in order to appreciate the ornate narratives that play off each other, for Blac Samurai’s rapping style goes for an incredible range from near dream-like states to retrospectives on a whole people’s history.
A deep understanding of hip-hop’s traditions and Blac Samurai’s willingness to mess with them results in a true swagger that giddily rolls on through. On the hip-hop side, his delivery takes on a bit of Yung Lean’s poetic word choice with such detail rushing on through. Beyond this, there are some of the unusual verses that recall some of Tyler, the Creator’s vulnerability.
Production-wise, Blac Samurai dives deep into rather experimental producers, with nods to D/P/I’s fractured beats. Clever sampling does recall a bit of Ahnnu’s early output, and there is a glimmering ambiance to the whole thing, drawing equally from pieces of jazz as well as house, resulting in a kaleidoscope of textures.
Heavy electronics and sci-fi sampling start things up on a high note with “Born Like This”. The rumble of the bass makes “Dreams” a rather sultry experience, complete with vinyl crackle alongside his surrealistic vocalizations. Virtually taking a page from Future Sound of London’s expansive discography are the found sounds of “Match (All Black) ‘21”.
Keyboard vamps give “Break” a futuristic flair. Various details emerge with “Tap In”, feat. T.E.E. Grooves go for a physicality with “All That” for it unfurls with majesty. Slow-moving the languid “Bag prt. II” explores atmosphere with a reflective stance. Bursting at the seams comes the sheer intensity of “New Heaven (On Me)”. A grand finale brings it all home for “The Matrix” references a disembodied funk.
The “Soul Glitch” album shows off Blac Samurai’s uncanny flair for storytelling mixed with a production style that has a fully lived-in, deep-rooted history behind it.