Twilight is a strong and catchy opener, and Solareye, as is his wont, leads in real fine style and makes it clear that the human population is very much headed for a doom and gloom future unless we can be arsed to make an effort to change.
Jam makes it blatantly obvious and upfront from the start that The Rise And Fall doesn’t have the most original of subjects, but as long as it remains relevant, it will always hit close to home. No Future stands as my introduction to Sweet Rogue, and Christ almighty, she absolutely kills it here, bringing forth such a palpable and animalistic intensity that will sure as hell enforce your attention.
Steg varnishes the lulled and low-key The Promise with a contagious hook while Freestyle Master speaks patently from the heart. Meanwhile, Part Of The Problem is backed by a neat mix of woodwind and pianos, and the ever reliable Conscious Route rolls up the energy through his zesty rapping.
Respek BA is another fresh face to me, and his blunt unrestrained presence makes him a worthy addition as he has no hesitation spitting out the harsh and unfortunate truth on The Point Of No Return, whilst Nova continues to retain and exhibit her award-winning status in Hope And Despair, highlighting the frantic emotional ups and downs of life.
Johnny Cypher is another who isn’t afraid to be open and transparent in Footnote, perfectly capturing that sense of helplessness a lot of us feel when it all gets too much and in turn get caught up in guilt not being able to help make a positive difference the way we want to.
Jay-Lee blazes through The Road To Salvation hard and swiftly, and lastly, Empress rolls down The Final Curtain in excellent style, closing out the record on a chilling and thought-provoking tone.
It was last year that Steg G assembled a staunch crew who collectively delivered one of the most impressionable albums of 2021 in the form of Live Today. One year later, the maestro has achieved the same result.
Surface Pressure is fantastically produced, lyrically compelling, and is defined by a league of hardy and focused performances, giving the audience the absolute best possible showcase of Scotland’s phenomenal hip hop scene.
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SMALL MUSIC SCENE 