To call Atlanta’s Awful Records prolific would be an understatement. The team of outlandish emcees and producers have been releasing music at a ridiculous pace while pushing the boundaries of DIY artistry in the most delightfully bizarre ways. With artists like Father and Slug Christ, regulars in our Hip-Hop Dojos who’ve both garnered substantial followings, and an array of connections through out Atlanta’s booming hip-hop scene, the label’s poised to continue its ascent. There’s still a lot of people out there, from the hip-hop purists to the “it’s not really music” snobs, who just don’t get the appeal of the style of music Awful Records puts out–often lo-fi, disorienting, highly experimental and at times superficially narcissistic (see Slug Christ’s NSFW album art as an example). What those people are missing, though, is the raw creativity and talent that this crew has as well as the camp-y, avant-garde tone of their lyrics and style.
Last week, Ethereal, a member of the Awful Recs crew, put out his latest album, Final Fantasy. Self-described as a ‘megalomaniac’–someone obsessed with their own power–Ethereal’s album is a culmination of its title and that introspective diagnosis.
Spanning from wavey, lo-fi vibes on “Fantasy!,” the Slug Christ-featuring “Ultima” and “I Can’t Feel,” which includes a cleverly placed Rick & Morty sample, to oddball bangers like “Bump” and “Come Here,” the album never loses site of its core escapist aesthetic. As a result, it’s the type of album you can just hit play on and zone out, but if you do choose to listen closer, you’ll find some lyrical gems. Stream and cop the album below. Also, make sure to follow Awful Records on Soundcloud and do your best to keep up with their near-daily releases.
Buy Final Fantasy by Ethereal
Fantasy!’
