So far this year, Indianapolis rapper Sirius Blvck has dropped one of the most interesting collaborative albums of 2021—which also wrought one of the most interesting music videos—and quickly followed that up with one of the year’s coolest singles as a solo artist. That single preceded a full-length LP, Cinephile, which is already scheduled to drop tomorrow via Near Mint Records, and which serves as the hard-hitting yang to This Time I’ll Be of Use’s ambient-electronic yin.
Over the course of the LP’s nine tracks, Blvck sprinkles references to Lynch and Aronofsky, The Toxic Avenger and The Matrix, among darker themes that surface in our everyday lives. “The idea for Cinephile came about from me being just that—a huge cinephile,” he shares. “I love cinema. Since a child I’ve studied my favorite films and grown fond of certain directors and their individual styles. I was the kid that watched all eight hours of DVD extras. I always joke that if I hadn’t been a musician I would’ve been a film critic.
“I was inspired by some of my favorite films and directors through the years,” he continues. “My hope is that the album plays out like a Where’s Waldo? of references. It’s not bombarded with pop culture, but I like to think they reveal themselves like Easter eggs throughout the LP. Overall the idea was to have as much fun as possible.”
Hear the record below, and pre-order it here.
