Rapper The Soul Seeker (Joshua Snyman) and producer Sound-Sage (Philippe Christen) have something in common. They both have a background in vintage '70s music and old-school '90s hip-hop and combined go on to create a unique listening experience with their flair for the retro. The hip-hop duo operates under the banner, Conscious Presence, emerging with their debut Self-titled album, 21 tracks that were completely recorded as a performance onto a tape machine at Satori Records vintage studio.
The album is jumpstarted with “Dedication” an ode to old-school hip-hop, which consists of a smooth R&B vibe in the chorus. Filled with a class '90s rap style and '70s musical elements, the track is incorporated with a great flow and classic electronic beats. The beats are sparse with a stripped-down feel to the arrangements. About the philosophy that knowledge is power and about inspiring others, this song is a dedication to all the dreamers and believers.
“Metal & Cement” starts off with a happening '90s classic hip-hop style, as The Soul Seeker seems to change things up with a more intense and textual rap style, here. The rap artist spits out the lyrics with sure-fire execution, as his voice seems to be seething with rage and passion. The track is filled with some bass-heavy rhythms, as it takes us into the mentality of someone “rapidly descending into a hell of metal and cement,” who is rapidly falling into the apathetic system that is about to swallow them.
“Original” is comprised of simple electronic beats that encompass an overall stripped-down feel, consisting of an old-school, classically feel. The Soul Seeker raps with a ferociousness that explicitly elicits his contempt for the system. The visionary beats and lyrics create a spell-binding performance with a retro feel to the classic '90s era of beats and rap.
Towards the beginning of “Soul Trap (ft. DJ Okay),” the song features some disc scratching that gives the track a great retro feel. The rhymes create a rhythmic psychedelic-like listening experience with The Soul Seeker’s spiraling and hypnotic rap style engaging listeners. The song acknowledges the trappings of society today and how we can become caught up and enraptured over the wrong things.
“The Now – Interlude” is an interlude filled with electronic beat layers paved with a rhythmic bassline and soaring synths.
“The Vibes (ft. Ra Pius)” is filled with a rhythms-heavy bassline, consisting of hypnotizing grooves and sounds of the record scratching. With an old school hip hop vibe, the track is about repelling the hate and withstanding the consequences while looking forward to the future.
“Curiosity” contains an energized rap style that is executed with precision by The Soul Seeker. Snyman spins a sweeping tale about impressions and “forces of attractions” that can lead to an unsavory ending. The song entices with electronic beats and the sound of record scratching.
“Love, Everybody” starts off with bouncing electronic beats and a classic hip-hop appeal. About sharing the love, the track incorporates The Soul Seeker’s mesmerizing lyrical execution with a pronounced '90s classic hip-hop style.
“Divine” meditates on the mystical powers that may lie and the plans these higher powers may have for us and about what connects all of us as individuals. This is an inspiring song with uplifting grooves that includes a positive message.
The second interlude, “Path Of The Sage – Interlude,” includes a melodic tune on the piano that cuts in and out as the electronic layers join in. The track is filled with organic instrumentation as well as electronic beats as bouncy synths create a mystical listening experience.
“CP Theme Song (ft. DJ Okay)” starts out with some funky electronic beats as The Soul Seeker spews out his rhymes with a furious energy. This is an apt introduction announcing CP’s pronounced presence in the hip-hop world. The song is filled with groovy synths and a sizzling electronic backbeat.
“Elements (ft. DJ Okay)” begins with the resonating twang of electric guitar as the record scratching creates some audio riffs. The track reels in inspiration, urging others with this positive message of “breaking the chains” and to take action with the arts.
“Seeds Of Love” is a song about meeting your strengths and calling on a higher power when your abilities fail you. This is a track about empowerment that has far-reaching vibes with its uplifting and positive message.
“Warrior Spiritual (ft. Ra Pius)” starts off with a retro stance with the by now familiar record scratching. With a high-energy rap style, The Soul Seeker brags about his lyrical prowess, in which on this song, he executes his rhymes with mythical ease. The electronic beats and record scratching gives off a great '90s old school vibe.
On the interlude, “Patience – Interlude,” the track gives off a sweeping appeal with epic sounding bouncy beats and invigorating synths, distilled in a classic hip-hop fashion.
On “Resonance,” The Soul Seeker pounces with his mind-blowing rap style as his conscientious lyrics and hypnotic rhymes seamlessly and fully encompass the hip-hop conscious. The song is about our connectivity as individuals as we call on a higher power to us, as we try to base our existence on love and harmony.
On “Edge of Abyss (ft. Ra Pius),” The Soul Seeker loosens up with this flowy rhythmic rap song. The track is filled with a sense of cynicism and is about keeping it real when life is relatively short and rooted in impulses and materialism.
CP’s clear retro stance continues on in the songs, “Black Emerald” that starts off with some discord with the beats as the electronic backbeats cuts in and out and is about the perpetuity of destiny as the powers of divinity hands us our fates, on “Luminaries – Interlude,” an interlude that is filled with a dancing melody on the keys and the rhythms-heavy bassline and bouncy electronic beats, on “Farewell, Wayfarer” that talks about the transformative power of hip hop, interwoven with a piano melody and electronic beats, and on “Steadfast Stillness (Outrolude)” that is paved with energetic percussions and bouncy electronic beats with a rhythms-heavy bassline.
Conscious Presence’s unique rapping stylings is a verbose raw embodiment of another era. Recorded in Satori Records vintage studios on a tape machine, the entire album was recorded all in one-take, including the DJs going on cue with the record scratches. This DIY ethos to song-craft marks CP’s genuine approach towards authenticity.
CP’s one-of-a-kind rap stylings, which consists of '70s music with an ode to '90s era of old school hip-hop, will definitely obliterate all your preconceived notions of hip-hop music.
Conscious Presence adds to the hip-hop vibe with their mindful lyrics and a rap style that pivots off some fuel-induced rhymes of the times that comes across as an eye-opening and hypnotic listening experience.
Conscious Presence will keep listeners spell-bound and entranced with the duo’s brand of '70s grooves and classic '90s rap style.
This record will bode well with fans of old-school hip-hop as Conscious Presence brings their signature classic hip-hop music to the masses.
Be sure to keep your eye out for Conscious Presence – they are out for great things!