Hip Hop

ONE TO WATCH: KJ Palmer

Nottingham rapper/sound engineer KJ Palmer is our One To Watch.

KJ Palmer is a Nottingham based rapper and sound engineer who is producing what I can only describe as his own brand of aural art. His debut track, a collaboration with another Nottingham rapper Kai, is called Manslaughter and has already received airplay on BBC Introducing and BBC Asian Network. It is a hypnotic and visually evocative track where ambient sounds oscillate behind a steadily paced out beat that holds the composition together. KJ’s lyrical delivery on this is understated but confident, lulling the listener to follow him to the end of each verse, like a musical Pied Piper.

K.J Palmer & KAi - Manslaughter (Explicit Music Video) [Free Download Below]

So far, KJ’s style is quirky, blending low tempo electronica with hip hop beats, yet there is also a familiarity to his music- like a trippy dream you forgot you had until it is triggered by a flashback. This is perhaps a testament to his influences, with KJ identifying the roots of musical inspiration to the likes of Flying Lotus, Bonobo and Guru.

‘The Gift” which was also featured on DJ Yasser’s BBC Asian Network, is a track which skillfully echoes the melancholic content of the lyrics, with the piano key instrumentation within the arrangement, to create a haunting and atmospheric track.

K.J Palmer - The Gift

KJ’s next single is entitled “Inner Body Experience”, and we hope he continues with his trippy yet chilled style which is so evocative of surreal and soulful soundscapes.

In the long term, KJ informs us that his plans are to create more ambient progressive music with out of the box arrangements. He is also dabbling in visual directions and experimenting with abstract production techniques. It will be exciting to see how KJ Palmer develops his style of aural artistry and you can keep an eye on his music releases and creative projects at kjpalmer.com.

Hi, it's Luke, the editor of Sampleface! Why not subscribe to my Patreon and support the blog?

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