Edinburgh’s Young Fathers are hip-hop alchemists who have fostered a new sound that melds the DNA of rap with leftfield R&B, punk and dark electronica.
Working out of a Scottish basement, Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham 'G' Hastings have hit on a bold combination of beat, rap and song that smells of its dank birthplace.
The incubation process has been lengthy: Young Fathers been working together since they were 14, honing their rapping skills in open mic slots before tentatively recording using cheap music software. Initially dubbing themselves a ‘psychedelic hip-hop boy band’, they've since morphed into something much darker.
Last year’s signing to underground hip-hop label Anticon brought them to a wider audience, helped by the re-release of their stark debut EP Tape One and follow-up Tape Two.
Like TV on the Radio meets PM Dawn, the releases introduced listeners to their dystopian world brimming with stark narratives and submerged melodies.
More recently Young Fathers contributed a new track Effigy to the new Friends of Friends music compilation Show me the Future Volume 2 and have collaborated with Tim Brinkhurst on a short film for Channel 4.
The self-contained unit also run a club night in Glasgow, make their own posters and direct their own videos. Intent on owning their sound and visual identity, Young Fathers have delivered an aesthetic perfect for recession-era Britain. The question is, what will they turn their hand to next?
http://youngfathers.tumblr.com/
http://www.young-fathers.com/
Working out of a Scottish basement, Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham 'G' Hastings have hit on a bold combination of beat, rap and song that smells of its dank birthplace.
The incubation process has been lengthy: Young Fathers been working together since they were 14, honing their rapping skills in open mic slots before tentatively recording using cheap music software. Initially dubbing themselves a ‘psychedelic hip-hop boy band’, they've since morphed into something much darker.
Last year’s signing to underground hip-hop label Anticon brought them to a wider audience, helped by the re-release of their stark debut EP Tape One and follow-up Tape Two.
Like TV on the Radio meets PM Dawn, the releases introduced listeners to their dystopian world brimming with stark narratives and submerged melodies.
More recently Young Fathers contributed a new track Effigy to the new Friends of Friends music compilation Show me the Future Volume 2 and have collaborated with Tim Brinkhurst on a short film for Channel 4.
The self-contained unit also run a club night in Glasgow, make their own posters and direct their own videos. Intent on owning their sound and visual identity, Young Fathers have delivered an aesthetic perfect for recession-era Britain. The question is, what will they turn their hand to next?
http://youngfathers.tumblr.com/
http://www.young-fathers.com/
