CLBRKS & NickyDiesel - CLBELLIC (Vinyl LP) PRE-ORDER

Having become one of the most instantly recognisable voices in UK Hip-Hop over the past few years, with a slew of heralded releases on Blah Records, Londonbased rapper CLBRKS (AKA Conrad Brooks) prepares to release his new LP ‘CLBELLIC’ via Bradley Zero’s heralded imprint Rhythm Section. This new offering sees Conrad linking up with Finnish producer NickyDiesel to deliver an eleven-track excursion, delving into a brooding sonic palette influenced by the gritty and foreboding essence of classic New Yorkian gangster video games such as Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto IV. Painting images of eerie nocturnal backdrops and various nefarious activities, the album perfectly matches Nicky’s grainy and neck-snap inducing production alongside Conrad’s off-kilter and often-hilarious lyrics

Speaking on the inspirations behind the album, CLBRKS says : ‘Obviously the main inspiration for the project is the character Niko Bellic from GTA IV, my favourite of the series. I think Nikis full name being Nikolai has something to do with it, and at the time I was playing a lot of Max Payne which is another Rockstar production game, and also a collaboration with Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment I think Niki being half Russian was probably also an inspiring factor in some strange way! I think that’s why the areas we filmed in were so suitable to the theme, and the dark eerie vibe that the original video game gives off.’ Full to the brim of razor-sharp wordplay and hazy, jazz-tinged beats - this is one record to soundtrack side missions all summer long