The Alchemist – Flying High

Each new release from The Alchemist is worth savouring. A producer with a peerless catalogue, he’s arguably up there with Madlib in terms of studio figures expanding hip-hop’s lexicon. Adored by fans, ‘Flying High’ finds the producer acting as the pivot between four impeccable MCs, representing an Avengers Assemble of rap’s left-field.

Opener ‘RIP Tracy’ finds Earl Sweatshirt and billy woods on the same track. Yep, occupying the same space, the same beat. It’s childish to even compare the two – have a pair of rappers contributed more in the past decade? – so we’ll simply sit back and absorb the thrill of this, the sheer novelty. The beat louche, heady, almost psychedelic, it’s a remarkable piece of music.

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‘Trouble Man’ switches it up, aiming for something a little more paranoid, introverted. T.F. and Boldy James are tasked with bringing it to life, their mutual approaches intertwining on a piece of music that feels both raw and eloquent. ‘Bless’ utilises the skills of MIKE and Sideshow, the beat nodding to bleached out Miami cuts from the 80s before interpolating some jazz piano, too. The inimitable MIKE impresses, but Sideshow rivals him – a sign of the sheer continued creativity on show here.

The standout – in this writer’s eyes – is ‘Midnight Oil’, which boasts both Larry June and Jay Worthy. A smoky closer, its heady atmosphere enfolds you like a cloud of shisha smoke, the verbal dexterity erupting out of the gloom.

And that’s it. An EP, The Alchemist keeps it brief, placing four parallel instrumentals at the end. Pre-release hype held that ‘Flying High’ was an album; it’s not, but the brevity doesn’t downplay the creativity. A stunning four-track feast, the only downside is that we don’t hear more from such a formidable cast.

7/10

Words: Robin Murray

Dig This? Dig Deeper: Armand Hammer, Larry June, Earl Sweatshirt