With the arrival of Archers New Rival and their single "Direction", I found myself tracing the jagged line of a crack in my ceiling, letting the melody dictate exactly how much that imperfection bothered me. The track initiates with a deception a clean, resonant melancholy that feels safe before suddenly mushrooming into a thick, distorted wall of heavy texture. It reminds me, oddly enough,...

When 7Z MAXI released his latest single, "Back From The Dead", the collision between the unforgiving pavement and the holy pulpit feels surprisingly organic. The Philadelphia-based solo artist, sometimes operating as Holy Boy Maxi, is tunneling straight back to the gritty, nostalgic energy of 2012 underground drill music. He is handing down a heavy, paradox-laden survival guide directed at the youth navigating treacherous environments...