Sorrdes is the Ipswich producer formerly known as Deadpoole. While still using that moniker, his last release was back in May of 2016, with the album Night/Life. Now, with a what seems like a seemingly innocent and understandable shift in names, he comes out with a new project, Strange Hymns.

A name change in hip hop is a strange thing. Sometimes it’s done purposefully, meant to specifically designate a different project, or even a different persona. Other times, you pick a name, and then for some set of reasons, you’re forced to pick a different name. Under these circumstances, in theory, the artist should just sound the same. And yet, for whatever reason, there feels like there’s a certain energy that comes through on an album like this that comes from the rebirth of an artist. Of course, it helps that Sorrdes has always been a very thoughtful producer who takes the time to make meaningful instrumental releases, one who doesn’t settle for mediocre beat tapes. On Strange Hymns, the album has an interesting frame work, opening with the song, “To Draw Another Year On You,” and closing with the song, “To Draw Another Year From You.” Following the theme of the title, it does feel a little like we’re getting opening and closing prayers for the service that is the album. This isn’t slow and liturgic, though. “To Draw Another Year On You” feels like a track I would use to teach the youth about instrumental electronic music, which is brilliantly developed and layered, with great use of motif in it’s melody, and a fascinating mix of futuristic synth sounds that play against elements like acoustic guitar and church organ, which combine with a really captivating sense of rhythmic patterns that overlap to just ramp up the energy of the track and really grab your attention. From there, we move on to “Shores,” which gives you a little more of a familiar hip hop beat, but Sorrdes takes these fairly standard drum and bass elements, and then pairs them with this combination of psychedelic and sci fi sounds that takes you into this interesting dreamworld. As the album continues to unfold, Sorrdes continues to guide you along this sonic journey that balances these feelings of familiarity and newness. He can write a really beautiful, moving slow song that can help you really get inside your own head, but he can turn around and give you a song that will come at you with a wave of energy and keep you on your toes and it goes through all these twists and turns. There are all sorts of great moments on the album, but perhaps the most interesting is the inclusion of “Pixel Moon,” featuring Phil Jackson (not that one, the musician from Ipswich). It’s a gentle ballad that reminds me of the indie rock of the early ‘80s, with this gruff vulnerability to Jackson’s voice, and a fairly sparse instrumentation, save for a brilliant trumpet line that comes in on the chorus that makes the song.

These days, instrumental releases can feel like they’re a dime a dozen, with so much forgettable music just coming and going. When you hear someone like Sorrdes, you’re reminded how good instrumental hip hop and electronic music can sound when it’s done right. It can be exciting, challenging, emotional, and just plain fun to listen to. Sorrdes has really taken the time with Strange Hymns to craft an album that tells a story and takes you on an emotional journey.