It’s that critical moment that every music journalist ventures into. It happens when we get an artist worth digging. We slide our hand underneath the desk to whip out that hideous facial mask of a straight-faced, grade school teacher with red ink in hand ready to carve our music reviews into someone’s membrane. Taking the time to ride the Voyeur voyage was a pleasant treat as it suited perfectly with the rain Gods deciding to pour down some cleansing wash on good music and his Texas land, of course. The music produced by Childish Major with the vocals to match under Rome Fortune’s belt creates an upcoming groove that falls closely to acts like DJ Shadow and Danny Breaks rave crave. The electric boogie definitely comes to light with the duo along with a hint of Atlanta’s rap recipe, but the two are truly doing something astray from other artists emerging in the mix.
This electric left-field relationship between the two young men is definitely worth listening to. It’s a total different scenario from the usual southern, Atlanta rap crews. Childish Major brings his eclectic style of intelligently mixing electric, future 2042 sounds with straight head-nodding, dirty beats of hip hop. It’s a bit of cinnamon and a bit of spice, literally. Major is like a mini Kanye who loves to exert different electric drums and then switch it up with live percussion and snare. As a listener who goes straight for the killer critique of a descent beat (I like my beat super hard by the way), kudos and much respect to the brains behind the production. The engineer can never catch enough credit for quality-earned beats. The producer has a few good words for his brother-like figure too. “Rome has definitely schooled me on lots of things. I respect him as an artist and a person. He is without a doubt, a game changer. I really believe in the moves he chooses to make,” says Childish Major.
The first track of the Voyeur EP, “Drugs to School Children,” automatically catches heat because it’s simply the introduction and sets the tone for the rest of the tracks. The drums set the smooth, laid-back vibe style which is often heard throughout the rest of the album. In this song, “drugs” could easily relate to the heartbreaker mentality of girls or the result a break-up from that one girl. Either way, Rome Fortune speaks some truth by suggesting not rushing into something with a hoochie, and his pride won’t up the ground along with his feelings.
“Other” and “Filter” seem to find themselves on repeat with iTunes as I genuinely dig instrumentals of nothing but pure sounds and noises. A mellowed out blend with blusters of fixed arrangements of music sounds pretty damn good, like waking up to birds on the most beautiful day outside. “Other” is a definite space voyage that could make Gnarls Barkley’s Pandora station or Madlib’s. “Filter” suggests more of a sensual blend between Prince and the Dream’s first album, and something for the ladies to unwind to. That’s a hint, my men. “Wanted” and “Jesus, Gouda” are your ride-out in the city of east Decatur songs. That slight Atlanta rap peaks out and the beat is laid down.
Voyeur’s EP is scheduled to dropped January 30 and with much anticipation, we support the movement. “I want the audience to experience something unusual, accept it, and relate. Be inspired if nothing else,” says Major. The producer goes on to joke that the “Voyeur EP is mysterious and sexy, like a one night stand with a stranger.”
voyeurEP(demo) by RomeFortuneSmallWorld
