Texture – Synaesthesia

“Scottish hip-hop is a non-sequitur,” rhymes Edinburgh based emcee Texture (of The Chemical Poets) on the track by the same name, before going on to give a slightly capital-centric rundown of greats – past and present. It's a solid introduction for those yet to be acquainted, and more proof of the city's ever emergent hip-hop undercurrent.

Fans of fellow local heroes Penpushers will appreciate the likes of Echo Boomers (Generation Why), as Texture gives a dystopian view of the zeitgeist over glitchy, electronic beats. On occasion Texture pushes his experimentalism too far; with the African-tinged house track The Dawn View falling well on the wrong side of good taste. But Synaesthesia makes for a promising release in all, hopefully indicative of greater things to come. [Martin Skivington]