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Live Review: Hvncoq's 'Unusual' is a hypnotic and introverted hip-hop cut

16 March 2018 | 3:30 pm | Max Lewis

Melbourne's Hvncoq unveils another starkly different new single in 'Unusual', highlighting his impressive versatility as an artist.

Melbourne rapper HVNCOQ has graced us with 'Unusual' - a smooth-as-butter flash of hip-hop and the latest taste of his upcoming EP.

'Unusual' is Hvncoq's third single in the past five months, and a stark contrast to his previous efforts. Dropped in December, 'Blackout' is a pounding political critique, whereas 'Out of My Mind' was vibrant and laid-back with elements of lounge music that mixed nicely with his hip-hop style.

'Unusual' evokes its title with a soft, floaty sound right off the bat. Hvncoq raps over dreamy pads and a heavily warped jazz sample while crisp percussion thumps at a languid pace. The track ebbs and flows over its two-minute run-time, occasionally exploding with extra sounds like extra samples and some garbled keys before settling back into its chill groove. Hvncoq's vocals match the pace of the track nicely as layers of his voice weave self-reflective rhymes.

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On the surface, 'Unusual' is so weirdly different from his previous tracks that, if not for his telltale vocals, you might not think it was Hvncoq at all. Upon closer listening though, it reveals many of the same characteristics that made 'Blackout' and 'Out of my Mind' so damn good. Where those tracks looked outwards, 'Unusual' sees him peering inwards, with a suitably trippy and hypnotic sound to match. It's a good sign of his flexibility as an artist that Hvncoq has dropped three totally unique tracks that are killer in their own ways. If these tracks are any indication, his self-titled EP is going to be a truly special listen when it drops later in the year.

IMAGE VIA HIGHSNOBRIETY

WORDS BY MAX LEWIS

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