Shapednoise. Photo by Leonardo Scotti.
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Sicilian producer Nino Pedone (Shapednoise) has shared news of a forthcoming album called Absurd Matter, scheduled to arrive on his own imprint, WEIGHT LOOMING. The announcement comes with the project’s lead single, “Family,” featuring New York underground rap scene leaders Armand Hammer (billy woods and ELUCID). The record’s tracklist also includes guest spots from Moor Mother, ZelooperZ, French producer Brodinski, and frequent David Lynch collaborator Dean Hurley.
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The new song is a decidedly bleak affair, built on a seething foundation of volcanic harsh noise that would be unmanageable for the average MC. But woods enters with ease, offsetting the waves of chaotic distortion — even when they ripple across his own vocals — with brutally frank lyrics. “The family farm, we sold it,” he begins. “The family plot had to go, so we backhoed the graves open / The farm next to us folded / The family farm was stolen.”
His second verse moves the story forward into the present, where things don’t seem to be going any better. “Rent’s due / My wife’s selling nudes,” he raps. “I bid on ’em from the desktop in the other room,” adding immediately thereafter that he “bought a Dante Ross beat from MF DOOM,” which doesn’t sound sound so bad, actually.
As the instrumental descends further into madness, it drags the vocals into the backhoed grave along with it. “I’m not s’posed to be here,” woods repeats, his voice drowning in industrial effects evil enough to make Genesis P-Orridge and the Throbbing Gristle crew proud. Eventually, the track sputters to a halt like a wounded war machine, an ancient automaton finally lying down to rest.
Listen to “Family” and check out Absurd Matter’s cover art and tracklist below.
Absurd Matter album art
Absurd Matter tracklist
1. Intro (feat. Dean Hurley)
2. Family (feat. Armand Hammer)
3. Know Yourself (feat. Brodinski & Zelooperz)
4. Swash
5. Savage Mindedness
6. Weighty!
7. Poetry (feat. Moor Mother)
8. Metal
9. Twisted Skills
10. Outro
