The long awaited collaboration album between philosophical lyricist Confucius MC and visionary musician Kwake Bass is here in the form of CoN&KwAkE — ‘Eyes in the Tower’. Two veterans of London’s Hip Hop scene who have moulded it and transcended and through their scope, output and collaborations have been working together for years, piecing together this album released on Shabaka Hutchins’ Native Rebel Recordings.
Both completely in line with what each is known for and pushing the boundaries of these, the album is soulful, heartfelt, engrossing and pensive. Confucius’ calm, measured tone and insightful musings sit beautifully within Kwake’s absorbing soundscapes that fuse his multi-genre skillset with the input of virtuoso instrumentalists from the Native Rebel roster that co-wrote.
The album flows smoothly, holding the attention and provoking thought. The sequence in the centre really stands out for me — moving from the emotive single ‘C.N.S. (City Never Sleeps)’ to ‘Mental Note’, where Con describes his overstanding of panopticism, to the darker, parable laden ‘Martin’. This sequence holds the ends of the album together, setting off the synapses and had me locked in, zoning into the vibe while contemplating the concepts. The final two tracks ‘Looking For What’ and ‘One in Three’ also hit hard, but I recommend blocking out 40 minutes, kicking back and sinking into the album to fully appreciate it.
‘Eyes in the Tower’ is out now on all major platform — check the CoN&KwAkE website for link https://conkwake.com/ and get into the visuals below
https://youtu.be/7tZX5uinzWY
