We’ve featured the work of Welsh hip-hop artist Mudmowth before. In 2023, he burst onto our radar through his comeback album, Kokoro.

By Graeme Smith

The record was his first new music for eleven years, sparked by the birth of his daughter. His follow-on EP, From Tree to Seed takes on the topic of growth, challenging the precept that it always has to go one way. The thesis of its five tracks is that sometimes we have to “de-grow” to find our true selves.

Mudmowth wrote the collection while in Indonesia, reflecting on himself and what he held to be true. It’s a thought-journey that’s introduced by the literal-titled Who Am I? which pairs questioning lyrics with lo-fi beats, and ends with the textured Carve a Wing which rounds off the story in philosophical style.

In between, we get three other musings. Zen is cosmic and confessional. Hour Glass paints a vivid picture with its bars. Brushstrokes in Blue combines nostalgia, melancholia and storytelling.

There’s no-one else in the hip-hop game like Mudmowth. His lyrics are challenging and avoids the over-used tropes of the genre. They’re delivered with an easy flow against some move-inducing beats. His new EP is thought-provoking and smile-generating stuff.

From Tree to Seed is out now, available to buy on Bandcamp. You can give it a listen below.