Continuing the contemporary quest to fuse genres with freedom and style, Zachary Campos takes us back to the simplicity of gritty original punk, and effectively intertwines that with an old school rap approach that feels almost like an unedited freestyle.
Scorching is the brand new single, barely scraping past the one minute mark as its marching pace and presence deliver a nostalgic and confident twist of intention.
From the outset we’re led by a raw bass line and crisp live drum sound. Soon enough an easy distorted guitar riff presents a minimalist rise and fall, two power-chords adding that third trait of instrumentation, before our vocalist rocks things out on the mic.
Vocally we get a slightly canned finish, the retro speaker-phone effect acting almost like a fun extension of the laid-back energy and self-belief imparted lyrically. Then we get to that freestyle aspect, the opening line feeling distinctly reminiscent of the dawn of boom bap and old school hip hop – ‘Lyrics coming at you from the back of the brain.’
The whole thing is a classic rap outpouring of self-empowerment and swagger, delivered with a likable humility and calm, but consistently devoted to this sense of possibility and confidence that makes up the entire concept of Scorching.
Openly inspired by the likes of Beastie Boys, The Ramones and Rakim, Scorching presents a fresh side to the Zachary Campos creative realm, and introduces production from Josh Zuckermann and Tim J Abbott. It’s a non-complex yet effective arrangement, with organic instrumentation to really take you back to the escapism and understanding from the era of punk.
Download or stream Scorching. Find Zachary Campos on Instagram.
