Description
In the sprawling landscape of electronic and hip-hop music, H31R, an improv electronic hip-hop pair, glows like a burning flare. Assembled from the creative stock of JWords, a New Jersey-based composer-cum-producer, and maassai, a vocal and rap prodigy from Brooklyn, the pair has freshly released their 2023 album, “HeadSpace” under the umbrella of Big Dada, a subsidiary of Ninja Tune.
The album is etched with 14 tracks that snake through a sparkling pathway of potent sounds. The opening number, “Glitch In Time”, spells out the album’s intentions with its layers of gritty bass, rhythmic drums, and offbeat melodies, setting a rusted yet catchy backdrop. The album proceeds to venture into deeply personal realms with tracks like “Static” and “Reflection”, poetically integrating self-analysis and contemplation. Further exploring the inherent yin and yang of life, the pair produced “Rotation” and “All Over The Place”, a poignant double-feature that surpasses the restricted dual arc and becomes the symbol for a multi-faceted self.
Despite its misleading name, “Backwards” unleashes an impelling force to advance past hindrances, while “Train of Thought” takes a deep dive into cognitive patterns, literally, beginning from a solidified stance and gradually moving towards a more abstract, philosophical plane. Along with the primary duo, the long-player also relishes in contributions from rising Chicago-based rapper and producer semiratruth and Detroit-based producer and rapper Quelle Chris, a Grammy nominee, infusing life into tracks like “Glass Ceiling” and “Down Down BB”.
Going back to their 2020 debut release “ve·loc·i·ty”, the duo’s sound permeated an unrivaled swiftness and rawness – blurring the boundaries of jazz, juke, Jersey club, and boom bap – an inter-genre fusion that made heads turn at platforms like Pitchfork, The Wire, and Bandcamp. The sound that embodied numerous musical clips with H31R‘s distinguishing touch was lauded as “a marvel of momentum”.
Post “ve·loc·i·ty”, JWords and maassai branched out with individual projects and collaborations. maassai’s solo album ‘With The Shifts’ received praise aplenty, while JWords released three volumes of her DancePack series and ‘Self-Connection’ in 2022. The duo also lent their expertise to Nappy Nina’s albums ‘Double Down’ and ‘Mourning Due’. Even outside H31R, the pair of JWords and maassai provide an exciting blend of authentic, avant-garde music.
While the duo first started their association at a 2017 concert, their intertwining musical journey has made great strides since then. Pioneered by the praiseworthy “My Name Jack?” on maassai’s debut EP ‘C0n$truct!0n’, their collaboration started to take shape. The lockdown allowed them to further sharpen their sound, spinning a unique tapestry that elegantly bridges the gap between hip-hop and electronic music.
With “HeadSpace”, H31R emerges into a new dawn of musical maturity. Encompassing all the learnings from past endeavors, the album, with its surrounding energy and depth, symbolizes the duo’s truthful understanding of their creative identities and their will to shape the world with music. Indeed, “HeadSpace” showcases H31R‘s progression as artists who devise original soundtracks while simultaneously blending diverse musical influences, defining the future of music. Their musical narrative can be encapsulated as an experimental journey, not so unlike the career paths of illustrious contemporaries Kanye West and Drake.
