One of the longest standing names in Australian hip-hop, renowned producer Plutonic Lab has announced of his first solo album in more than a decade. Titled Deep Above The Noise, it is set for release on June 17 via Wax Museum Records. This is his first studio album since 2005’s Codes Over Colours.
Along with the announcement comes the video for the gritty new single The Crib featuring Guilty Simpson, who released his own new album Detroit’s Son, last year. The dark track features understated but demanding production, gliding under the radar; with calm determination and quiet control, it’s a dark and very real look Simpson’s life in The Crib – Detroit.
While Plutonic Lab, real name Leigh Ryan has not released much solo music over the past decade, the ARIA nominee has been a busy collaborator, including producing for on Speech Debelle‘s Mercury Prize-winning debut album Speech Therapy in 2009, collaborations with Drapht, Wiley, Dialectrix and more, and has performed with Hilltop Hoods as their touring drummer.
It couldn’t be a better time for Lab to be releasing new music, considering how stellar the Australian hip-hop scene is right now – gone are the days of people complaining that it lacks substance or diversity anymore. Lab’s twelve-track album is reportedly set to feature an array of musical infusions, from futuristic hip-hop to minimalist jazz, soul and beyond, with featured guests including Miles Bonny, Coma-Chi and more.
Watch the video for The Crib here, and check out the full track listing and artwork below.
