Son Tensei (the project of Chris Kramer) feels like a unique proposition. Based across Chicago, USA and Tokyo, Japan, Kramer raps in both English and Japanese, creating a hip-hop collection that stands out.
By Graeme Smith
Kramer spent a long time as a producer and composer on other projects, even receiving a credit on Grammy-winning album J. Ivy’s The Poet Who Sat By The Door. He’s also one half of the duo, Tensei. Son Tensei sees him stepping forward to take on vocal duties for a solo project.
The flow of new record Virtual Island is both laidback and cutting. Kramer manages to capture a perfectly balanced dichotomy across its ten tracks. Chilled and charming vocals play out against minimalist, percussive grooves in the album’s early running. Kramer’s voice is soulful in both languages as he delivers his reflections.
As you might have picked up from the title, Virtual Island speaks of modern isolation and disconnection, exploring the distance between people and the machines standing between them.
Shitappa Life is an early case in point, sung primarily in Japanese, it explores the life of being on the bottom rung of a company hierarchy, stuck in a work-party loop. Feet Forward is an anthem to momentum, dedicated to the huddle. Yet, it is also a lamentation and that nuance makes it a highlight.
As things progress, we discover more genres. Virtual Island proves a melting pot. For The Kids channels ‘70s soul to create a beautiful piece of throwback art. Don’t & Won’t is dark and free flowing, and philosophical in its lyrics as they speak of facing down obscurity.
Then we hit the dancefloor with ghosted story Sayonara. In the final part of the album the danceable trades places with the reflective to create a strong sense of contrast. The Wall closes things, feeling like a final fresh of breath air and recalling the fantastic Gorillaz track Stylo.
Ironically, Virtual Island does not exist in isolation. It extends into technology and social advocacy and simultaneously promotes Kramer’s book Love Our Mother, Love The Children: Biophysics Economics & Spiritual Science. If he didn’t have enough strings to his bow, he is also the sole inventor of Harmonic Path Logic, a deterministic AI governance framework.
As interesting an album Virtual Island is, the story of the creator behind it might be even more so. If you want to keep up to date with all he’s doing, you can by heading to his website.
Virtual Island is out now, and you can listen to it below.
