Orpheus vs. the Sirens

Ka, along with Roc Marciano, is credited with ushering in the “beatless” style of production currently flourishing in underground hip-hop. While that is a bit of a misnomer as many of these loop-based compositions do feature subtle percussion elements, what defines this style are hypnotic loops that create a canvas for hushed but impressionistic wordplay. Ka presents himself as an almost monastic figure, dropping themed albums only occasionally, doing no promotion, and truly letting the work speak for itself. After building records around the rules of chess (The Knight’s Gambit) and Japanese warrior customs (Honor Killed The Samurai), Ka teamed with LA-based producer Animoss for this full length exploration of the unlikely intersections of hip-hop and Greek mythology. This odd pairing works surprisingly well, as Ka intones parables and godly levels of wisdom over elegant tapestries that seem like they could loop into infinity.