We’ve all been fans of Flo since our HHLAT brother Adam introduced us to her music with her 2014 mixtape ‘Lazy Days’ which still gets regular airtime on my mp3. Fast forward to September this year and the beautiful melodies and harmonies we associate with the songstress team up with Bristol based producer Don Piper to drop a dope collaborative project titled ‘New Memories’ EP.
After a brief hiatus away whilst focusing on his own music and family, it is a pleasure to have our brother Adam back writing for us and here’s his thought’s on the Flo and Don Piper EP ‘New Memories’……
Whilst I was listening to this EP and thinking of what to say about it something popped in my mind, there’s a saying that goes “rapping is something you do, Hip Hop is something you are”. A phrase that that is rarely more apt than in the case of this young lady, namely the vastly talented Flo. Completely embodying this mantra with her lovingly crafted vocals she has released this new statement of an EP with the widely regarded producer Don Piper, ‘New Memories’, into a scene of aggravated masculinity. You’ll thank her her that she did.
Almost a year on from her solo debut ‘Lazy Days’ everything that was good then is still there and improved upon. The ever rising confidence in her writing is the most apparent feature on this compared to ‘Lazy Days’, and that’s not to take away anything from the previous release but progression is to be expected and hoped for from a young artist. The vocal harmonies and gymnastics that have become a staple in Flo’s music are again dazzling, lulling you into a pure comfort when you bop it on headphones. Her immersion in the UK Hip Hop scene is apparent from the get go, in a way that annoyingly I can’t really describe but is what makes her able to not only release music to such an audience so well, but also perform to and encapsulate them. With many of your favourite rappers in the fan column she’s a breath of fresh air in smokey rooms, and with ‘New Memories’ she’s further certified herself as such.
Don Piper is a rising name in UK Hip Hop and his work on ‘New Memories’ shows why this is so. With a style that is hard to fence in, he goes from minimal to grand and the in between effortlessly without you feel disjointed. That itself is what was needed from ‘Lazy Days’, which was a larger release that used Flo’s choice of classic Hip Hop instrumentals, although it wasn’t apparent until I heard the fluidity of ‘New Memories’. Don Piper has clearly worked this to Flo’s particular strengths and style and has done a stellar job of it.
Start to finish is a journey you will not skip along or hurry to finish, with a complete sense of coherence across the project it’s just a gem of a release, and one of the stand out chilled jams this year. Overall just check it out for yourself because you’ll struggle to dislike something so pleasant and fun, because having had the pleasure of meeting Flo that’s how she comes across in person and on record. It’s a free download so no excuses, but you can also support with whatever you can spare via bandcamp.
https://flomusicuk.bandcamp.com/album/new-memories-ep
Flo – ‘So High’ (Prod. By Don Piper)
Twitter: @FloKirton
FB: @Flomusicuk
Check out Don Piper on:
Twitter: @Don_Piper13
FB: @Donpiperbeats
https://www.facebook.com/Phoenix-Recordings
Video https://twitter.com/thelimelighttv
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