King Yosef Debuts “Echo” from Kurt Ballou-Produced Debut
Prolific producer and musician King Yosef already has a name for himself, working with rappers like Ski Mask the Slump God and industrial mainstays like Youth Code, but his debut album is new territory for the musician. Titled An Underlying Hum, King Yosef explores heaviness in a variety of genres—industrial, hardcore and experimental hip hop, namely—in a way that feels distinct. Recorded and mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity, it’s easy to take the jump into King Yosef’s music even if you’re not familiar with his influences or past.
Today, we’re premiering the video for “Echo,” which features additional vocals from collaborator ghrins. The tune is reminiscent of Godflesh, or even Code Orange—pulsing electronics, buried harsh vocals and explosions of heaviness make up the sound, with a noticeable emphasis on the industrial side.
When writing An Underlying Hum, King Yosef dove deeper into his past, pulling from negative experiences to tell his story. In relation to “Echo,” he explains:
“I went through a process of diving in so deep… All the bad memories and situations of growing from youth to adult… ‘Echo’ is the first song to hold the mirror up and start psychoanalyzing my tendencies and what it means. I more or less was wondering if I was really any different than these people that had affected me so negatively throughout my life. Upon reflecting a lot, I really wasn’t that far away from a lot of their tendencies. Hurt perpetuates hurt. A sort of circle.”
You can sink your teeth into “Echo” below alongside a visual directed and edited by BLEAKHOUSE. An Underlying Hum is out on April 28 via Yosef’s Bleakhouse label.
An Underlying Hum tracklist:
1) Frame
2) Cascade of Doubt
3) Echo
4) Power
5) Nameless
6) 110817
7) Drift Below
8) Adrienne
9) Pulling at a Thread
10) The Crevice / Light Seeps In
11) An Underlying Hum
