Apparently not content with already running one bag-on-sight label, Josiah Gladwell, or K-LONE as SoundCloud knows him, has decided to kick start another one.
Already heading up the excellent Wisdom Teeth, co-founded with fellow wonky beatsmith Facta, Gladwell is well versed in shaping a decent imprint. October will hail the arrival of a new sister label, Wych, and an EP from Gladwell himself in collaboration with LA-based rapper Ill Chill.
“I set up Wych as I didn’t think the tracks would fit well with where we’re going with Wisdom Teeth,” he says, before citing Trim’s new record with James Blake’s 1-800 Dinosaur crew as providing some inspiration for wanting to do more work with vocalists and experiment with unusual instrumentals.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with vocals partly as a source of inspiration,” he continues, “It’s a smoother work flow and a lot of fun when you’ve got a vibe already there to work with and play off.” And that smoothness has certainly been passed onto the finished artefact.
Aided by Ill Chill’s, well, chilled delivery, ‘Dank’ lilts along like a stoner chat picking up steam with the odd moment of epiphany. The laid back, zoned-out approach is reflective of a recording process that’s taken a little over two years, with beats and vocal takes being sent back and forth across the Atlantic as the six track 12” slowly took shape.
Needless to say, this has taken patience but it’s been worth the wait for Gladwell, how notes how his own specific taste in MCs played an influential role. “It’s been hard to find [an MC to work with] in England,” he says, “as, in terms of rap, I’ve always been far more into American hip-hop and artists like Common, Pharcyde and Kev Brown – I associate rap with those silky smooth American vocals.”
Those particular tastes may have had a part in the video too, after Gladwell came across a video an old friend of his had made for Reijje Snow. “It reminded me a lot of the trippy ‘70s animation Malice in Wonderland,” Gladwell explains, “and I thought the hand drawn aesthetic would fit well with the artwork.”
Indeed, as with everything Wisdom Teeth has done so far, there’s a real sense of care and handmade attention to this release – something which, at a time when digital discards are the modus operandi du jour, bodes well for a more treasured future.
The 'Rare Jewels' EP will be released on 12” vinyl and as a digital download on the October 17th. Keep scrolling for a first look at the trippy stop-motion video for lead track ‘Dank.’
Words: Will Pritchard (@Hedmuk)
