<p><span><span>- I first heard about <strong>Sons of Kemet </strong>when <em>Your Queen Is A Reptile </em>burst forward in 2018 chock full of boundless energy injected into intricate jazz stylings. From there, anyone who has been in my car since that fateful day has doubtless heard Sons of Kemet super-charged assertive force. Dual drummers Sayain dance their power to conatus as saxophone and tubas jive between each other all spurred on by an underlying incentive.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Some spoken word did add a narrative to an otherwise solely instrumental record but here on <em>Black To The Future, </em>the UK quartet brings in more delineation to their sonic poetry. Their ten year anniversary as a band is symbolised by this record. None of the bombastic compositions are reduced to include a dictation of their integral message. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The voice we hear first and last on the record is one familiar to us, <strong>Joshua Idehen</strong>, on both <em>Field Negus </em>and <em>Black</em>, much in the same manner as <em>Your Queen</em>. His stentorian delivery cracks with exasperation and as emotion rises so does the intensity of the music. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Harsh tones birth kindred bustles on <em>Pick Up Your Burning Cross.</em> Vocals are here again but lurk in the bare minimum space remaining free of vibrant music. <strong>Shabaka Hutching</strong>’s woodwind and saxophone arrangements blitz together in melodic stutters. A minute before its close a borderline psychedelic moment erupts as rhythm fades and woodwinds take over while their brass pal screams into the ether. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Slowed down ever so slightly is <em>Think of Home</em>,<em> </em>emulating some smoother Caribbean feels and from here, tuba becomes a major player during these comparatively more subdued parts of the album. <strong>Theon Cross </strong>assumes the mantle of band kingpin where the steady plodding rumble gives enough room for everyone to contribute their own expertise. The reign continues on <em>For The Cause </em>and <em>Hustle</em>,<em> </em>both featuring their own set of vocals. The latter was our first taste of this record and nestled in between jazz that excites like no other, becomes all the better. <strong>Kojey Radical</strong>’s refrain and cooly sung lines galvanises this song and indeed the whole album’s quiet determination. It is mimicked superbly by woodwinds and gorgeous vocal doubling fleshes this out. From <em>To Never Forget The Source </em>to <em>Through Madness, Stay Strong </em>Sons of Kemet bring back their unencumbered stratagem of reworking and extrapolating on lovely motifs. Each are as memorable as the next. To write such melodies completely devoid of words and still AND STILL have them stuck in your head is a testament to their skill. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Idehen returns to speak out this record to a close. Both his contributions need to be heard and felt rather than having this dope describe them to you. <em>Black To The Future</em> brings greater lore and story weight to an already engrossing sound. It is not exactly substance that’s been added because Sons of Kemet had that in droves but now you get words stuck in your heads in your mind as much as the melodies. Given that signal’s potency, it is a fantastic combination of the two. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Matt Lynch.</span></span></p>
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