Every time we (as Apparel Music) are sent something, we try to relate with the artists’ expectations, fears etc. But mostly, we feel even closer to them. In fact, being able to listen to some unreleased music beforehand, inevitably generates a peculiar connection between us and whoever composed that music and that silent connection aways makes us feel lucky. It goes without saying that we’re even happier when the record in question is brilliant, like the one we’ll talk about here.

Now, what might happen when a divine producer like Inkswel -an old acquaintance of ours- and a legendary singer/songwriter like Colonel Red hook up?

An album which seems to be composed by supernatural powers, called “Holders Of The Sun Vol. 1”, out on Compost on September 30th 2022! The synergy released from the union of these two inspiring artists is intense, profound and manifests itself as the result of a natural, mutual understanding.

But only to those unfamiliar with music composition (and its dynamics) may seem automatic that two such heavyweights, joining their musical forces, must give life to a great record. The reality is that, sometimes, it’s quite the opposite, but certainly not in this case.

Regarding Compost, the Bavarian label have been a guarantee of quality since 25 years, so there is always an atmosphere of anticipation before their releases, with this LP -out both on vinyl and digital versions- making no exception.

The album is composed of ten tracks, each and every one masterly produced by Inkswel featuring the soulful, sensual but also biting and penetrating vocals of Colonel Red.

Holders Of The Sun Vol. 1 is both very compact and multicoloured. In fact -if the devil is in the details- that's where we have to look to find the real gems in this record, with both artists converting their very own styles into one homogenous -yet varied- body of work.

“Hold On 2 It”, the opening track, serves as a pure example of a beautifully produced modern Soul song, while “Make Me Crazy” touches the strings of R&B thanks to the groovy beat packaged by the Aussie producer and the smooth guitar finger picking, taking us to an atmosphere of bygone days without sounding too old-school (the hardest task) and giving us the first hit of the pack.

“I’ll Pray” is a heartfelt statement, a powerful whisper in the ears of the listeners -especially with the short spoken word poem sang by the Colonel- which reminds us of the importance of taking a stand and fighting for our beliefs.

Once again, the lyrics and the music just flow effortlessly as they were just meant to be, while “Hell On Earth” drags the inertia back to a sonically effervescent vibe, with the lyrics remaining very much introspective and pensive.

Colonel Red -in “All Systems”- appears to want to confess his apprehension about the present society, yet trying to convey a positive message to the listeners but also some personal concerns, as in “Cruel Mistake” where the slow but pressing rhythm section, the snare rolls, the synth stabs and soft chords chase each other creating a truly unique atmosphere.

Then here comes “Neva Enuf” with a fresh wave of rhythmic and harmonic innovation, where the pair seem to leave behind many pre-packaged musical concepts and abandon themselves to experimentation, giving a peculiar twist to a record that -thus far- was travelling at great speed on a straight track. Thanks for the diversion guys!

With “Time Ticking” we keep on breathing the air of novelty that permeates the B side of this beautiful record; here a 4/4 beat blends perfectly with the lyrics dictating the pace of the instrumental in a smooth but frenetic way, while to the cry of “if you wanna be free we got to come together now” we approach the end of the LP with “Save Ya Self” and its the broken-beat, with all its evocative power.

“Undeniable” wraps things up with a final electric shock given by the percussive bonanza, the ringing synth melody and the always on point vocals.

Perfect ending to dance it away.

Overall -briefly getting into technicalities- this album is another example of how Inkswel’s capability of balancing every track in the arrangement, generating different layers of listening and -therefore- adding a special depth to the mix, is just unparalleled and very personal.

We -at Apparel Tronic- have experienced it before when we had the pleasure to release his The Sound mini LP, and we clearly remember how stunned we were by the depth and crispness of the sounds, when we first listened to the pre-mastered tracks.

Holders Of The Sun Vol. 1 encompasses quite a vast range of tiny variations on the bigger theme of experimental Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B theme, showing how intricate is the fabric of influences that the duo bring into their music. We must pay tribute to both Inkswel and Colonel Red for creating such an exceptional LP, but also to Compost for being the perfect platform to host it. Save changes

This is what we think about Holders Of The Sun Vol. 1 by Inkswel and Colonel Red out on Compost on September 30th 2022. Buy here.