A Meditation on Space with King Krule: “Space Heavy” Reviewed

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by Luke Modugno

We have a peculiar relationship with the concept of space. As vague in definition as it is in reality, space can signal overwhelming novelty. Novelty of location, people, community and circumstance. In the same vein, space can separate, destroy and alienate.

Since the 2010’s rolled around and, by consequence, rolled past, few individuals in music have matched the sheer despondence harnessed by Archy Marshall’s artistry, better known as King Krule. Meticulously crafting a discography that sits on a foundation of despair, heartbreak, romantic failures and the cruelty of the universe, Marshall illuminates the drab, dismal and visceral aspects of the human condition. If his earlier work like 2013’s 6 Feet Beneath the Moon and 2020’s Man Alive! are reductions of Marshall’s outlook on the negative aspects of his life, his latest masterpiece Space Heavy is fixation on the metaphysical hands that pull our lives apart from one another.

Archy Marshall, aka King Krule. Shot by Billboard.

Written between 2020 and 2022, Space Heavy follows Marshall’s psyche through a period of frequent migration for the British native. Constantly travelling between his homes in Liverpool and London, Marshall became obsessed with the concept of physical space. During his commutes, he became fascinated by the space between, which often coincides with grappling with change, forced or natural. Coupled with the dread of “losing people and situations to the guillotine of the universe,” Space Heavy’s sonic landscape is as desolate and crushingly lonesome as Marshall’s mind at the time.

The duality of space is mirrored by Space Heavy, as it snaps in-and-out of focus with the plethora of negatives and positives distance has brought about in his life. Atmospherically jazzy throughout, sound acts as Marshall’s transistor for conveying the raw emotions attached to his disjointed lyrics. Assigning genre to Space Heavy is tricky, it can be best summed up as a quintessential King Krule experience. Marshall’s screams and shrieks layer harmoniously with the jarring guitar sections, wailing saxophone solos and harrowing violin on tracks like “Hamburgerphobia,” “Pink Shell,” and most notably, the title track.

Marshall’s songwriting on Space Heavy is brilliantly dense. Inventive and alluring at every turn, the spiritual gateway between Archy’s soul and his pen is unbarred. From reflecting on the fickle beauty of cities we pass through while travelling on “Seaforth” to enduring the tortuous splitting seams of a relationship on “Tortoise of Independency,” Marshall’s delivery in tone and chosen verbiage throughout Space Heavy exhibit one of the most coveted traits an artist can possess: humanity.

Whether he’s releasing a blood-curdling groan over a guitar solo or utilizing his penmanship to emulate heartbreak in a mind-splitting manner, a microcosm of the record’s success comes on its title track. Albeit a brief reflection on a failed relationship, Marshall’s writing and sonic capabilities come together here, creating a clear standout. Without trying, Archy’s mind wanders back to his lost flame, “I had no thought about it, she appears from nothing, out the blue.”

“I sink in full armor, the lake is oil of misery, get ready slurp it up,” harmonizes Marshall. The decaying state of their relationship forces Marshall to engage his own defense mechanisms, putting up his armor. He knows this will inevitably end the relationship, sinking him deeper into a depressive pit. He won’t perish from separation, he knows that (oil to water), but the overbearing weight of his psyche will surely try. Marshall continues “I refused to be saved, my plastic straw.” Belting out, akin to nails on a chalk board, “my plastic straw” over a growing guitar and drum, Marshall is consumed by misery in his effort to trudge on minus his lover. Considering its designation as the title track, the space between him and his ex is weighing heavily.

King Krule has always had an inherent ability to connect to the essence of human experience. Space Heavy represents an obvious persistence of that talent, except on this effort, it’s focused, contained and a bit more poignant. Space shapes our lives in immense ways that are often indelibly defining. Music of the utmost quality such as Space Heavy does the same.

favorite tracks:

From The Swamp

Space Heavy

If Only It Was Warmth

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Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

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The Final Days of TikTok?: Analyzing Its Impact on Music

by Luke Modugno

The music industry has and always will be guided by the everchanging, rapid nature of technological advancement. From vinyl records to cassettes, Walkman’s to CDs and iTunes to Spotify, technological innovation has informed the way we consume, explore and digest music for centuries. In the age of all-encompassing social media, the industry has had to deal with a change far less tangible than physical technology.

Since Tiktok burst into epidemic popularity in the late 2010’s, its short form content and wildly addictive algorithm have indefinitely altered the way we consume media. In light of the possibility of an impending ban of the app, lets examine the indelible marks its left on the music industry thus far.

Perhaps the most poignant and noticeable affect TikTok and the entirety of social media has had on us is its erosion of attention span. “In 2004, we measured the average attention on a screen to be 2.5 minutes,” writes Dr. Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at UC Irvine and author of the 2023 book “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity.” “Some years later, we found attention spans to be about 75 seconds. Now we find people can only pay attention to one screen for an average of 47 seconds.”

The erosion of our attention span can be directly linked to the arrival of TikTok. An endless series of visual and audible stimuli, TikTok provides a whiplash of shortform content fully tailored to the user. Coincidentally, the average length of a TikTok clocks in at 21-34 seconds, making it a prime culprit in our diminishing attention spans. Extrapolating the issue out to various industries, its no mistake that the music industry is the business to be affected the most significantly.

Considering the fact most albums are longer than 21-34 seconds, music executives have had to adapt their hastily shifting market. Seldom do you see a cohesive record release nowadays that exceeds an hour in length.  President of Top Dawg Entertainment, Terrence “Punch” Henderson recently popped a relevant question to his followers on Twitter. “Are albums losing value? Or am I not thinking progressively enough?”

The answer to Punch’s question isn’t difficult to find. As with all industries, consumer sentiment drives revenue, in turn directing the trends of product. So considering both the degradation of our attention spans and the fixation on having a set powerful and distinct stimuli at our finger tips, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that playlists are now officially more popular than albums. According to the Music Business Association, playlists account for 31% of listening time across all demographics, while albums came in at 22%. The fascination and value placed on with an ordered, coherent full-length LP has clearly faded.

Not only has TikTok affected the way we consume music, it’s also affecting the medium in which we consume it. Spotify recently announced a revamped version of their home screen, featuring a vertically scrolling home screen. Sound familiar? Comparably to TikTok, the new home screen update favors discoverability, exposure and quick dopamine hits. It’s no secret that all these repercussions are diminishing the artistic value of music, further commoditizing the art form.

Most new artists aren’t as interested in crafting a cohesive story, sonic direction or consistent artistic presence. Instead, the prevailing approach to music seems to be throwing as much shit on the wall and seeing what sticks, Certified Lover Boy style. Furthermore, why pour countless hours, musical exertion and bother for public discourse to move past your album in no more than a week? Take Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 effort Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers for example. Fans of the Compton emcee waited 5 long years for this moment, only for it to not even crack into the top 50 of the Billboard 200 only 6 months following its release. Here’s the real kicker: both DAMN. (#41) and good kid, m.A.A.d city (#35) are performing better than Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (#80) on charts this week. Why? Because both DAMN. (“PRIDE.”) and good kid, m.A.A.d city (“Money Trees”) have viral TikTok songs that accrue new streams and visibility daily, while Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers never really had such a song.

But in order to properly evaluate the overall effect TikTok has had on the music industry, we need to need to look at both sides of the story. Despite the fact that TikTok has discouraged many of the poignant and coveted aspects of music, it has been an undoubtedly positive force for the discovery of new artists, as well as expansion of musical taste.

Artists such as Yeat, Lil Nas X, 24kGoldn and countless others have TikTok to thank for the meteoric rise of their respective careers. Like other social media platforms, TikTok acts as a open forum for sharing new tracks, artists and music you’d otherwise never discover. Combined with the app’s faultless algorithm, TikTok is considerably adept at recognizing the type of music you may enjoy and exposing you to it.

Songs that are years old have soared to the top of the charts to new heights solely due to TikTok trends. Fleetwood Mac’s “Dream” has had a total rebirth, going viral on the app. Bruno Mars’ “Talking to the Moon” has had an encore as well. While the revenue split for artists on the app isn’t ideal (70/30), it’s hard to conceive of a more effective marketing tool for artists to utilize.

In the same vein as countless other social media platforms, TikTok and the impact it has on humanity and human art is and always will be in the eye of the beholder. If TikTok is ultimately banned by the government or not, its impact on the world of music will be felt for years, as the music it exposed us to, careers it produced and artistic lives it impacted will last a lifetime.

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 Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

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Controlled Chaos: JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown Split Heads on "SCARING THE HOES"

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by Luke Modugno

What makes both Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA’s artistry durable is their unrivaled devotion to the bumps and bruises of their own music. The two have mastered the art of employed imperfection, giving their records an unmistakably rugged finish. Within that artistic direction, Peggy and Danny have cultivated distinguishable styles, Peggy’s driven by beyond obscure production and Danny’s by off-kilter rhymes and delivery. The marriage of these two uncontrollable minds could be a considered a dream by some, and nightmarish by others (the hoes).

A collection of 14 volatile and abrasive tracks, SCARING THE HOES represents a caustic combination of rap’s most audacious forward-thinkers.

Jaggedly stitching together soul and gospel samples, iPhone text notifications, Lady Gaga and Ski Mask the Slump God cameos, Peggy’s work behind the boards on this record is best described as an unmitigated commitment to contrariness. As with the rest of Peggy’s work, SCARING THE HOES has distinct punk undertones, both in attitude and sonic style. Simply put, a lot of the things Peggy is trying here shouldn’t work. But they do, and they fit Danny’s unnatural tonality and rhyming superbly. Whether he’s fusing a somber jazz piano loop with hyperactive drums on “Jack Harlow Combo Meal,” borrowing a melody from a K-Pop song to blend with bouncy trap bass for “Kingdom Hearts Key,” or crafting a fidgety union of hyperpop and hip-hop on “Fentanyl Tester,” SCARING THE HOES’ uncompromisingly avant-garde nature is nothing short of incredible.

While the production is remarkable, SCARING THE HOES really comes into its own when it’s met with the duo’s clever and witty pens. Perhaps the most fitting example of the sheer power of their team-up comes in the form of “Burfict!” Draped with triumphant horns and thumping 808s, Danny’s cagey rhyme scheme and catchy hook emit pure electricity. Paired with Peggy’s raucous adlibs and closing verse, not only is “Burfict!” one of the standout songs on SCARING THE HOES, but additionally an undisputed song of the year candidate.

Neither Peggy or Danny are flooring listeners with their technical rapping ability on this tape, rather their one-liners steal the spotlight and more than a few laughs. “I feel like Papa John (insane),” raps Peggy on “Lean Beef Patty.” On the biblical “God Loves You,” Danny raps “Her with my dick like David and Goliath.” True to its humorous title, Peggy and Danny keep things lighthearted and comical throughout. Even though Peggy and Danny aren’t sharing any “Otis”-esque moments of bar trading on SCARING THE HOES, their rapping techniques are ideal foils to each other, something that is visible from one end to the other.

While this record represents a victory lap for the pair, SCARING THE HOES presents its own challenges and shortcomings. The LP sees Peggy is pushing genre boundaries while simultaneously pushing his own ability to mix the record properly. While Danny Brown mocked the criticisms of the album’s mix on Twitter, it is an entirely fair critique of the album. Danny’s verse on the opener “Lean Beef Patty” is practically unlistenable as the sidechaining essentially mutes Danny’s verse on every kick hit. Similarly, “Steppa Pig’s” brutal percussion and jumpy electronic elements nearly overpower both emcees. Conversely, looking at the mix as a stylistic choice also makes sense as well. With the title track having a similar mixing problems, the issue is certainly tangible.

But what are critiques if not perceptions? Sure, you can choose to perceive the mix as a flaw, or another calculated imperfection. Does either matter to Danny Brown or JPEGMAFIA? Do any perceptions of their music matter to them? Not in the slightest, and that’s what has allowed both to blossom into an artistic space where making such a staggeringly bold record is possible.  When collaborative records match the gravity and talent their duos command individually, the outcome is a substantial, as is the case with this album. A continuation of two brilliant careers, SCARING THE HOES is a record we’ll be talking about for quite a while.

Favorite Tracks:

Burfict!

God Loves You

HOE (Heaven on Earth)

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Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

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Back and Better than Ever: "Intros Outros & Interludes" reviewed

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by Luke Modugno

Domo Genesis has always occupied an evocative lane of the Odd Future assemblage. Since their split and subsequent pursuit of solo work back in 2015, each member of the former collective has journeyed deeper into their experimental absorptions, morphing their artistry into something that hardly resembles their original work. However, Domo’s latest record Intros, Outros & Interludes is more of the same from the 31-year-old emcee, in the best way possible.

Clocking in at 11 tracks spanning 25 minutes, the concision and precise identity lyrically, sonically and aesthetically of Intros, Outros & Interludes is what propel this to be Domo’s most outstanding individual work to date.

Executively produced by Evidence, a sapling stemming from The Alchemist’s tree of influence, the record is a product of contemporary alternative hip-hop: soul vocal loops, antique drums, stumbling horns, pianos and other instrumentation splattered and dragged through the dusty, brilliant producer’s mind of Evidence. The direction behind-the-boards pairs smoothly with Domo’s delivery, which retains its intrigue via his unique intonation. 

As the record static cuts in on the opener “Don’t Believe Half” and the accompanying horn loop joins, Domo’s pen and delivery makes it blatantly obvious that he’s been working on perfecting his craft during his nearly five year absence from music. “I'm probably out the way, but I’m exactly where to be at/the energy where we at/and the home where my feet at/the road is what I drive on, the chrome where the seat at” shows Domo’s retention of his witty pen from his Odd Future days. Mixed with his especially nasally inflection on this track and across the record, Intros, Outros & Interludes properly displays Domo’s full potential as a solo rap artist. 

The ever promising Navy Blue joins Domo on track two, “Skeletons,” with a beat tailor-made for Navy’s obscure braggadocio and clever word play. Remy Banks, Griselda’s-own Boldy James and Evidence join Domo as featured artists, all with exceptional verses in their own right. Beside Intros, Outros & Interludes representing Domo’s most complete and remarkable body of writing, this record is easily his most distinguished sonically. 

Every beat on Intros, Outros & Interludes emits its own exclusive aura, affording Domo a diverse palette of experimental flavors to work with on this project. The heading nodding vocal chop on “Trust the Process” is simply filthy. A clever soul sample paired with a skilled emcee has rarely failed, and “Stay One More Day” and “Running, Running” are no exception to that trend. The luxurious piano and grimy drums on “Victories & Losses” provide a lush backdrop for Domo and Evidence to trade bars. Boldy and Domo’s relaxed deliveries pair well with the lo fi production on “December Coming.” All-in-all, Intros, Outros & Interludes is in the conversation of being the best produced hip-hop record of the year.

With next to zero skips, drastic improvements lyrically, artistically and directionally from Domo Genesis, Intros, Outros & Interludes is a premier release in hip-hop during 2022. A glorious return to form, Domo has proven here that he is definitively back and here to stay.

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Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

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