Pink Siifu is not just in his own lane, but spread wide amongst them all: experimental music, noise, and a legion of Southern hip-hop.
On BLACK’!ANTIQUE, all of the vast sonic experiments explored on his previous records combine into one; a synthesis and showcase for Pink Siifu’s brilliant, idiosyncratic design. Its beginning run of tracks are a furious racket of noise; the opening, title track sounds like a twisted version of a Timbaland beat, wobbling as if it’s being played into a timpani deep in the bowels of the earth. ‘[Sacrifice]BonAppétit’ is a trunk-rattling combination of industrial hip-hop and horrorcore – halfway through, breaking above the clamour for a few bars of jazz drums – before plunging straight back in. ‘ALIVE & DIRECT’!’ churns for over 6 minutes, relatively beatless with an overblown guitar, drums pummelling alongside Siifu as if building up to an eventual, cataclysmic drop… that never comes.
Nothing is ever played straight on BLACK’!ANTIQUE. The album’s psychedelic second half plays with similar bouts of tension and release. The HiTech-assisted ‘FACECARD’!’, squeaks along teasingly, basically completely without any low-end – like a DJ with a finger hovering over the high-pass filter. Again, that eventual explosion never comes, and we keep floating along. ‘TRANSLATION’!’ starts with a classic Dungeon Family-esque, cinematic intro, something that could slot easily onto Stankonia or Speakerboxxx. A few backspins later, the floor drops out, and we’re floating – Siifu rapping in negative space, with only an occasional ticking sound on a bed of chopped-and-screwed atmosphere.
There’s so many influences, so many ideas on BLACK’!ANTIQUE -- but so well integrated are they all, it barely feels worth marking each off, lining them up into boxes and definitions that are likely not important to Siifu himself. The numerous features across the record strike a delicate balance between showcasing each artists’ unique contributions, while integrating them into the album’s smoky netherworld. Big Rube, who closes the record, sums it up: “Just original style, with original soul.” Parliament, Prince, DJ Screw – BLACK’!ANTIQUE is a love letter to them all. And, of course, hip-hop – you’d be hard pressed to find a rap song better than the climatic ‘LAST ONE ALIVE'!’ BLACK’!ANTIQUE is a crowning moment for one of hip-hop’s great auteurs.
Words by Lindsay Riley