The beat drops, and suddenly you are standing at the edge of a decision you cannot take back. That is the immediate, visceral pull of "Wide Open", the latest release from a group that knows exactly how to manipulate tension. It hits the ear not with a bang, but with a slow, deliberate pressure that wraps around you before you even realize you are caught....

"Cloud Ocean", is a debut record, from Hafnarfjörður in Iceland with its young artist Guzo who is changing the parameters of hip-hop and storytelling. The release of an extraordinary album at eighteen by the producer, writer, vocalist, rapper, and audio engineer Guzo perfectly reflects his maturity, inspires and brings people up to him in new forms. Drawing from such influences as Quadeca, Frank Ocean, Tyler The...