So-called left-field hip-hop has increased in popularity recently after its relative disappearance in the late 90s.  Electronica-infused hip-hop production has garnered the lime light with releases such as Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak and Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day. But long before Yeezy and Cudder ever considered integrating the synth so substantially, Anti-Pop Consortium was paving the way.

Anti-Pop Consortium – Capricon One

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As if sensing the reemergence of left-field from beyond the grave, Consortium members Beans, High Priest, and M. Sayyid reformed the group in 2007 after a five year break.  With their new release, Fluorescent Black, this reformation is finally vindicated.

Fluorescent Black is as much a production project as it is a lyrical one.  Heavy use of effects and angular rhythms define the album.  Past and future unite as tribal and electronic influences are organically blended, layered under aggressive vocals with a grave message.

The record is a 17-track dystopian epic with various themes interacting throughout.  An inevitable conflict brews while all-pervading technology overwhelms an unassuming population.  A dark warning finally resounds on the final track as revolutionary spirits are called out of hiding.

In the end, Fluorescent Black stays true to the Anti-Pop Consortium credo: “disturb the equilibrium.”  While not necessarily as innovative as previous releases, the album maintains a certain level of experimentation without overlooking lyrical prowess.

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