From the spine tingling chill of the sci-fi inspired intro there is an X-Files level of spookiness in the beat. This uneasiness isn’t lessened when UFO Fev finally starts hitting the beat, it’s unique, unusual, and utterly awe inspiring. This is old school hip-hop with a tasty new swing and a funky little flow.
Instead of playing into the common tropes of the genre and repeating the same tired bars and schemes UFO Fev instead turns in something a little more psychedelic and far out. It’s a crisp delivery with flavoursome flow, spitting mad sci-fi vibes with passion and pedigree. It’s like Wu-Tang shot themselves into space.
The beat and production by Vanderslice is honestly a breath of fresh air. The buzzing of the UFO engines in any other producers hands might be overpowering or distracting after a while, but in this track it actually becomes a centre piece, and a very welcome one. It forms the backbone of the beat which the keys and easy drum hits bounce again to create something that I honestly can say I’ve never heard before.
It isn’t anything too flashy but has that instant classic DJ Premier feel to it, and you can tell the beat is putting in work. I dare you to try and listen to this and not bump your head along, go on try, we’ll wait.
See couldn’t do it could you? Combined with the easy lyricism of UFO Fev and the guest verse from Flee Lord it’s just tasty old school hip hop with a nice breath of something fresh. Instead of leaning into past prejudices instead we hear them championing growth.
I would like to hear UFO Fev lean further into the conceptual with more sci-fi bars. His lyricism on this track has a nice flex but could stand to get a bit more complex. A minor criticism, and easily made up for in the fact that he’s got a flow, delivery, and voice that just sounds so deliciously crisp you can’t help come back for another serving.
As an introduction this is a track that definitely pricks the ear of the uninitiated and does a solid job at sparking interest in the full length Enigma Of Dali EP which can be grabbed over at their Bandcamp.
Words By Matt Miles
