Element II: Air

As I felt was mandatory to get ready for this review I went back and listened to the first Element: Earth to see how that one performed in comparison to this one and I can confidently say after playing both back to back that they do have different aesthetics and actually vary according to the EP names. Let’s talk about it! This is the latest EP by MC Eyeflo and Producer DeevoDaGenius and together they drop this 6 track, 15 minute project with the sole feature of -King Leaco and let me start with what I noticed from the first one. On the ‘Earth’ element it felt more in your face, direct, raw with a southern hip hop flare to it. This one represents ‘Earth’ in its full force energy and ‘standing on business’ vibe. Now that we move on to the second element ‘Air’ as I was expecting this one feels a lot more atmospheric and laid back. If clouds could be utilises into sonics then this would be it!. In fact the first sentence that came to mind when I played this the first time was ‘Key Heavy’ I noticed alot of keyboard or piano work in these tracks and something as subtle as an overuse in a specific instrument can make all the difference in the overall feel of a record and that’s the first thing I noticed. As we discuss a few of the songs you’ll see what I mean by the tonal shift compared to the first one! If we start with the opening track -whirlWIND we get that opening synth style chord progression that hits you like a gust of wind on a super windy day! Blowing your hat off your head! As the song continues we get some of those lavish yet distorted keyboard sounds in the background looming like an insect flying through the elements as well as some rhythmic drums and some mesmerising bass to tie it all together! We can look at the track -UP (Ultimate Pressure) which showcases some organic Piano keys in a gorgeous loop that will take away all your stress in the best way possible! As well as those we have some more irresistible bass lines and some scattered drum work that was quite unique but fit the aesthetic of this song well! I also love how this song adds what sounds like ocean wave submerges which I feel was the perfect extension towards the end! There’s even the track - Cloud7 which is probably the most ‘traditional’ style hip hop beat on the whole EP. You’ve got those beautiful soul vocals in that mini loop that comes along with those plucked & sticky strings, there’s some more looming bass and some heavy in the front drums to give this a sort of mid to early 2000’s hip hop vibe that I felt made this track feel like the ‘refresher’ of the project. As far as the MC work goes. Although I wouldn’t say performance wise he switches up too much from the first. Relying more on the sonic shifts to do the variations but it didn’t take away from his supreme style his fun, vibrant and interesting characteristics on the mic that make him such a gem to listen! Like how the more I listen to him (for this review sake) the more I noticed his southern resemblance from legend like -OutKast -Goodie Mob -Scarface you name it I hear the influence and homage being paid in the way he delivers, his different flow tactics and the way he conducts himself on the tracks! The fact that this is only 15 minutes long always suprises me. Because Flo is able to fit in so much in depth lyricism, a range of emotions, topics, concepts and ideas to keep the listener thinking. Sure his voice may not have become any lighter but his words did! He paired that lavish production with a more thought provoking dare I say ‘softer’ touch on the mic to provide an easier gliding listening experience that I just adored. The crazy part is if you listen to both projects back to back you can hear the difference! And feel the mood change up from I to II! Absolutely incredible! Of course King Leeco understands the role of becoming the feature that acts as an accelerant to the wind to blast it 10x higher and make everyone feel his verbal tornado he spits on the mic along side EyeFlo! With incredible chemistry to match. Did you like this EP? Have you heard the first one? Let me know in the comments and hopefully you’re just as excited for the third instalment!