This past December, a forward-thinking artist who established himself as a frontrunner in avant-garde music in the 90s released his first album in 14 years. Not D’angelo, but another D, Divine Styler.
The futuristic spitter emerges from a self-imposed hiatus much like Michael Archer, but he isn’t bringing us heartwarming soul. Instead, the cerebral MC crafts a project that sounds like cold steel.
Def Mask is a cautionary tale set in a dystopian Blade Runner-like future. Self-produced, the album borrows bits from the electronic wave that’s engulfed much of music in recent years, twisting the elements into an unflinching, relentless, and aggressive soundscape only bested by DS’ vivid and dense lyricism.
Check out a taste with “Architectonic,” and if you’re not a replicant, head over to Gamma Proforma and get the gatefold LP, complete with a beautifully illustrated booklet by visual artist Will Barras.
