Since moving back to The Good Land from New York in 2013, Fresh Cut Collective co-founder Adebisi Agoro—who raps under the stage name BLAX—has worked hard to regain his footing in the hip-hop scene he’d temporarily left. Archangels, Agoro’s first EP under his new moniker, was an impressive four-song reintroduction. BLAX has spent much of 2015 winning over audiences with energetic live performances throughout the state and slowly working on his next record.

While BLAX seems as focused as ever, he recently ventured off the beaten path with “The Headphone Experiment Volume 1,” a three-part, one-track project that veers stylistically from song to song and has Agoro trying things he never has before.

“It’s more experimental than my usual polished releases,” Agoro tells Milwaukee Record. “Artistically, I am stepping out on a limb and experimenting with being a more free overall artist.”

Clocking in around seven minutes, BLAX’s “The Headphone Experiment” was self-recorded in his home studio in a single day. While he took things into his own hands for the most part (even singing some hooks), Randal Bravery provided some production touches to the smoothed out “Cadillac Dreams” and Shabazz Palaces-esque third vignette “Christmas Trees,” as Milo lets BLAX’s verses take the lead on the minimalist “The Other Side.” By all means, this experiment can be called a success. Short and untreated as it is, this is BLAX like we’ve never heard him before. With any luck, he’ll keep on experimenting.

BLAX will perform tonight at Foundtain Hall (in Racine) at a benefit for the family of Rob Johnson.

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Co-Founder and Editor

Before co-founding Milwaukee Record, Tyler Maas wrote for virtually every Milwaukee publication (except Wassup! Magazine). He lives in Bay View and enjoys both stuff and things.