We Speak Music

Family Tapes Unveil ‘Hip Hop Sovereignty, Vol. 3’

Published

8 hours ago

June 17, 2025

In a world of fast bars and faster fame, Family Tapes chooses something slower, deeper, and more deliberate. Hip Hop Sovereignty, Vol. 3 is less an album and more a daydream—a carefully structured odyssey through memory, protest, chess boards, and sunlit city blocks. Every track feels handcrafted, like something found in a dusty basement crate and given new breath under the skyline of 2025.

Built like a basketball game and unfolding over a day in New York and Atlanta, Vol. 3 finds power in ritual. The twelve tracks are split into quarters, each with its own pulse, its own light. There’s the jazz of the morning, the mid-tempo grooves of reflection, the chaos of city dusk, and the spiritual stillness of night. Like the streets they walk, stephenxjones and Derek Cedar understand rhythm as survival—and survival as art.

“Dearly Beloved” is the heartbreaker—a sun-drenched ode to matriarchs, memory, and mortality. Its jazz chords shimmer like a half-remembered dream, while the verses are soaked in gratitude and loss. “Aquarium NYC,” the album’s closer, is equally elegiac, touching on gentrification and community displacement with the weariness of someone who’s watched too many neighborhoods disappear behind chain restaurants and rising rent. And yet, nothing here feels hopeless. If anything, hope is the undercurrent pulling these stories forward.

Even the record’s most energetic tracks—“Br@ve New W0rld,” “Azzi Fudd,” and “Backpack Respirator”—carry a moral gravity. Their bars hit like sidewalk sermons, offering lyrical CPR to a genre too often intoxicated by its own excess. “We’re letting go of vices like a UFC champ,” spits Cedar, a line that lands with punch and clarity. Sobriety isn’t posed here as puritanical—it’s defiance, it’s clarity, it’s power. And power, in this universe, is the ability to think clearly and love harder.

Sonically, the record is a jazz club meeting a street cipher. You hear Fender Jazz Basslines coil around harp samples, strings rise like sunbeams, and MPC drum hits that feel lifted straight from a dusty loft in Brooklyn. Sun Cut Flat’s production feels cinematic but never ornamental—every sound carries intention, every drop feels earned.

Hip Hop Sovereignty, Vol. 3 is a rare kind of album. It doesn’t just reclaim hip-hop—it reimagines it as a sacred space. A place for chess players, jazz heads, truth-tellers, and community builders. In the midst of so much noise, Family Tapes offers quiet power and deep groove. And for those who choose to listen closely, it just might be life-changing.

We Speak Music

Imbermind Unveils Dazzling Debut Album Never Ending

Published

6 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Philomena Marie

Imbermind, the cutting-edge musical collective pushing the boundaries between electronic purity and alternative pop, has officially released their hotly anticipated debut album, Never Ending. A bold and immersive sonic experience, the 11-track album is now available on all major streaming platforms—cementing the group’s arrival as one of the most exciting new acts in contemporary music.

Crafted by the visionary minds of Edu Imbernon, Luis Clemente, Nico Casal, and Álvaro Monreal, Never Ending is an electrifying journey through sound. Fusing the shimmering textures of synth-pop, the pulse of indie dance, and the emotional gravity of alternative pop, the album stands as a fearless artistic statement. With sweeping cinematic moments and introspective lyrical depth, Never Ending evokes comparisons to icons like Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Moderat, Bicep, and Metronomy, yet retains a distinct identity all its own.

Imbermind first turned heads with their stunning official remix of Depeche Mode’s “Wagging Tongue”, taken from the legendary band’s 2023 album Memento Mori. The rework offered a masterclass in sonic reinvention—paying homage to the original while introducing a layered, contemporary soundscape that marked the group as one to watch.

That promise only deepened with the release of “Thousand Miles” in December 2024. The emotionally charged debut single explored resilience and perseverance, earning critical acclaim for its meticulous production and haunting vocal performance. The track became a signpost for the sonic ethos of Never Ending—a world where emotional storytelling meets expansive electronic innovation.

At the heart of Imbermind’s appeal is the fusion of four distinct artistic voices. Edu Imbernon, a global DJ and producer with a decade-spanning career, brings festival-tested energy and production finesse. Nico Casal, a classically trained pianist and celebrated film composer, injects cinematic depth and narrative flow. Luis Clemente adds versatility as a multi-instrumentalist and indie-electronic producer, while Álvaro Monreal, the unmistakable voice of the project, channels emotional resonance and acoustic mastery.

Together, the quartet creates music that defies easy categorization. Never Ending is not just an album—it’s an experience. From the euphoria of club-ready anthems to tender, stripped-down moments of reflection, the record invites listeners into an ever-shifting emotional landscape that feels both fresh and timeless.

As Imbermind takes their place on the global stage, Never Ending stands as a testament to their shared vision: fearless, genre-defying, and deeply human. Whether you’re a fan of forward-thinking electronic music or just discovering the genre, Imbermind is a name you won’t forget.