Imperial and K.I.N.E.T.I.K. teamed up for the Adventures in Technicolour album, which is set to release tomorrow (April 15) and is available for stream exclusively through HipHopDX.
The United Kingdom producer and rapper seek to display the natural growth that occurs in life and to create a contrast to their debut project, the 2013 EP Pencils Not Pistols. In an exclusive interview with HipHopDX, the duo explain their heart behind the music.
“When we are young, our understanding of the world is limited and we tend to see things in black and grey – or ‘monochrome,'” K.I.N.E.T.I.K. says. “As we get older, we learn even more about ourselves and begin to experience life in its true fullness. We like to think of this as the point when the adventure of life is experienced in ‘technicolour.'”
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Imperial explains how his personal development is reflected in the theme of Adventures in Technicolour, which is released through Illect Recordings.
“The album is a lot of fun because it is a colourful and unpredictable mix of concept, sound and delivery,” he says. “My production is a lot bigger and more intricate with multiple layers to each beat. I tried to push the beats forward into the future but stay true to the throwback vibe.”
The duo also sought to honor the legacy of the late rapper Praverb The Wyse who passed away suddenly in 2014. The man born Earl Patrick McNease was a big advocate for independent artists and, because of an interview K.I.N.E.T.I.K. did for his website, was the reason that the two got into a working relationship. The song “Golden Crown,” which features Elias, is a tribute to Praverb.
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“Praverb was such a selfless person and we always knew he was rooting for us,” Imperial says. “He was one of the guest artists that we wanted on this album and he agreed to do it, but due to his sudden death, it never happened.”
Another song on the 19-track Adventures in Technicolour album is “Travel the Map” with Oddisee. Besides the standard version, the cut is remixed to create two bonus tracks. The two rappers connected when K.I.N.E.T.I.K. interviewed Oddisee for the United Kingdom publication The Hip Hop Chronicle in 2012 and built from there. K.I.N.E.T.I.K. explains why he and his production partner are grateful for The Good Fight rapper.
“What we appreciate most about Oddisee’s art is that he makes music that we can live our lives to in a positive way,” K.I.N.E.T.I.K. says. “We’ve literally seen his art come to life before our very eyes and that’s what makes it timeless. I remember reading an article which by Lucas Garrison titled, ‘I’m Terrified of the Future, Oddisee’s Music Helps’. This is something I can really relate to. His beats and rapping continue to go from strength to strength and his sound has evolved with the inclusion of his band, Good Company. We weren’t out to just do a song with a ‘big name’, but we’re both genuine fans of his music from his early work with Jazzy Jeff to his most recent output with Diamond District. We can’t wait to hear and see what he comes up with next.”
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Imperial and K.I.N.E.T.I.K.’s Adventures in Technicolour album cover art, tracklist and stream are below:
- The Adventure Begins
- One Big Rhyme
- Higher
- Good Music
- Just Another Day
- Home To An Immovable Species (Skit)
- The Great Indoors
- A Lukewarm Beverage and Sweetened Nourishment (Skit)
- Fix Your Face (f. Tone Richardson)
- Fresh (f. James Gardin)
- Zone Out (Remix)
- No In-Flight Entertainment (Skit)
- Travel The Map (f. Oddisee)
- Man Of The House (f. Tone Richardson)
- Golden Crown (f. Elias)
- The National Soul-Search Helpline (Skit)
- Not For Sale
- Travel The Map (f. Oddisee) [Ess Be Remix]
- Travel The Map (f. Oddisee) [Jeremy Arey Remix]
