Stream Ockham’s Blazer (PremRock) rap/jazz/psych debut album
Ockham's Blazer are a new seven-piece group fronted by underground rapper PremRock (also of ShrapKnel), and their self-titled debut album comes out this Friday (4/29) via Fake Four Inc (pre-order) but we're premiering a full stream right now. PremRock's involvement makes it qualify as a rap album, but they never once rely on traditional hip hop beats. The instrumentalists in Ockham's Blazer take you on a journey through jazz and psychedelia, and PremRock's alt-rap style goes perfectly with the stirring backdrop. The Bandcamp description says for listeners of Four Tet, E.A.B.S., Shabaka Hutchings, Shabazz Palaces, Snarky Puppy, Armand Hammer, and Khruangbin, and that's very accurate. One guest shows up — UK rapper Dizraeli, who has a standout verse on "Dirtbell" — but otherwise it's just the core seven-piece lineup, whose members hail from NYC, Toronto, and Vienna, all really gelling and showing off a ton of chemistry. Listen below.