iMAGiNARY FRiENDS - THE STEM OF A SHROOM
By Caspar Louis (@Caspar_Louis)
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Think back to when Pro Era and The Underachievers came about… that was a good time. This collaboration between Chuuwee and iMAGiNARY OTHER bring that feeling back to me, the discovery of something exciting, fresh, raw and authentic. I naturally gravitate to sounds of authenticity or unusual and really unique sounds.. THE STEM OF A SHROOM is one of those projects. It stands out to me with its incredible production, intelligent lyrics from Chuuwee, Abstract Ninja and Esquire Ali… but most of all the nostalgic factor that makes this album so timeless.
iMAGiNARY OTHER is the producer, who has teamed up with rapper Chuuwee to create the self-proclaimed super group iMAGiNARY FRiENDS. You’ve gotta listen to the whole project, start to finish. It’s an incredible piece of work. Something that deserves a lot more attention than it is currently receiving. I’m glad this partnership isn’t a one off… these guys are so dope together.
If you’ve taken shrooms before, I’m sure you’ll be able to hear the influence, especially in Ice Cream Man, those bells sound like they are coming from a different dimension. There’s no hint of these guys trying to sound like anybody else, I’m hearing all kinds of influences but it’s not fair to say these guys sound like anyone in particular… It’s just good music, from the soul and maybe from some other worlds.
The punk influence behind One Person shows how comfortable these guys are exploring different sounds. The iMAGiNARY FRiENDS traverse through different sounds, styles and eras with each song, it really is a bit of a shroom trip. They should make a cartoon series…
I can hear bits of The Beatles across the album, maybe due to the versatility of the instrumentation and cross genre influence… And as I wrote that, listening to Soko Oh No, I realised the title is a play on Yoko Ono… and maybe The Beatles really did influence this project? I don’t know The Beatles’ music well enough to make a confident connection, so it’s a bit of a whim.
Stir Fry is one of my favourites from the project. The epic horns alongside Chuuwee’s confident bars make it an uplifting and motivational song that’ll make your head bop into the right mindset for 2021.
I’m incredibly impressed by Chuuwee’s ability to flow on everything on this album… his intelligent lyrics are consistent and meaningful, having a very thoughtful impact on every song. iMAGiNARY OTHER’s production shows impeccable skill, giving the vocals the attention they deserve whilst showcasing some crazy sounds and influences from all over the place.
So impressed by this project, it feels like an album I’ve been loving for years.