Karavi Roushi first appeared on the scene as a member of the Nagoya hip-hop collective Hydro Brain Gang, taking part in Nero Imai's album Return Of Acid King (2017). He then launched the label Super Lights with Aquadab and, with Takara Ohashi on design, released his first solo album Kiyosumi Kurokawa in 2019. Despite being an unknown newcomer, it reached No. 15 overall on the iTunes Hip Hop Japan album chart, and beyond the music, the total-art approach shown in Ohashi's CD packaging made a strong impression. "Tokyoite," released on the compilation S.D.S =Zero= (2020) made during the pandemic, also became a favorite and an underground anthem among the participating artists.
Crafted by this three-person team with the delicacy of glasswork, BLADE N deliberately shifts its musical methodology, actively employing instrumentation with countermelodies that interfere with the rapper's voice and flow—long considered a no-no—and intricately woven tracks, posing the question of whether rapper and trackmaker can truly form an equal relationship. Karavi Roushi's otherworldly voice, at times like a piece of synth gear, adds a keen edge, while for the artwork Ohashi visually extracts the story world hidden within BLADE N—which opens with the line "don't die" on the first track—delivering the same impact as Kiyosumi Kurokawa.
Notable features on the album include Kuroyagi, also talked about for his work with rawbai, ORIVA, who sings of emotional subtleties of the heart, and C.J. CAL of Nipps-led The Sexorcist, while on the sound side Synthetic appears as co-producer on one track.
= Product Specs =
+ DL coupon + sticker
+ 2-page insert (with lyrics)
+ Shrink-wrapped