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Blue Sky Black Death Late Night Cinema

• Words: Zoneil Maharaj
• Label: Babygrande
• XLR8R Rating: 9/10

On their fourth full-length and first completely instrumental album, the production duo of Kingston and Young God (a.k.a. Blue Sky Black Death) employs a variety of sounds to craft an orchestral masterpiece. (Think Beethoven with a sampler and drum machine.) The six-minute opening track, “The Era When We Sang,” opens with rapid keys, atmospheric percussion, and a soulful vocal sample before a breakdown of soft strings, pianos, and a light flourish of horns takes over. It sets the pace for what follows: a dark yet beautiful soundscape with heavy classical overtones and lush drops that commands listeners’ attention, navigating us through various moods. Late Night Cinema may be categorized as “hip-hop,” but it’s better suited for the opera hall than your trunk.