By Landen Winkles
My pick of the week is from one of my favorite hip-hop collectives, Pro Era. Kirk Knight, one of the few artists I’ve been lucky enough to have seen live, dropped an instrumental-themed album titled “Black Noise.”
The first thing you’ll notice is the lovely art work that sets the vibe this album will give. Heavy, atmospheric and moderately psychedelic in tone, the sound really will hit the pallet of anyone who has enjoyed other hip-hop producers such as Madlib, Flying Lotus, and Shlohmo.
The first track completely enticed me with the lo-fi synthesizer making me reminisce about past summers listening to Kool and the Gang’s more soulful projects like “Light of the Worlds.” Throughout the album you can hear him upping the progressive nature such as “Mute,” and my personal favorite, “A.I.” The album finishes strong with a bonus track where Knight, also known as “The Kreeper,” lays some complex and meaningful lyrics that ends this project to make you feel like you had a full journey with Knight. This is definitely a project that’s worth listening to while you’re studying, working out, or even just chilling at home. The ambience brings an inner peace to your overall mood and well-being.
The focus on the production definitely shines in this project. It leaves you waiting and longing for more. After this I’ll be looking forward to him producing more for the rest of the Pro Era group.
