Project Description
ESOTERIK
‘My Astral Plane’
(EP Review)
Reviewer: Vicky Hebbs
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My Astral Plane is Aussie rapper Esoterik’s debut solo EP. Esoterik aka Eso was formerly one-third of the hip-hop group, Bliss N Eso, who produced huge tracks like Moments, Off the Grid and Addicted. Four years ago, he kicked his heavy drinking habits and decided to change his life. Now, after getting married and with a new son, Esoterik is back with nine tracks that reflect his new uplifted state of mind and detail the journey that got him here.
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The minute-long sneak preview for My Astral Plane got me so hyped for its release. That was released last October, so by now fans will be DYING to hear the EP.
The intro feels like you are sitting in a room filled with light, where a guru is preparing you for the spiritual plane you are about to visit. You can hear nature and the outside world waiting for you.
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This feeling continues with the start of Just For You, when voices beckon you to come experience “some magic.”
Esoterik’s soulful lyrics in this track are admittedly not what I was expecting, but the blend of rap and jazzy trumpets works so well, the refrain “Just for you” rounding off a bouncy track that is well-placed at the start of the album, drawing you into the music. Inspired by bathing his son, the baby voices at the end tie the previous musings about tough parts of his childhood to his fatherhood joy, a warming unity of past and present.
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Bless Up starts with heartfelt rapping and has a repeated chiming sound effect that is broken up nicely by the bridge, a great departure from the rest of the track, ensuring the repetition never gets tired.
Stay Fly has notes of reggae and a pumping energy that I really enjoyed. The deep backbeat at the start of the song gives it a darker vibe than previous tracks. It isn’t an angry song, however after all the opening lyrics are “I’m waking up feeling blessed.” This definitely is my favourite track from the EP!
Speaking of lyrics, this song also has my favourite line from the EP, “You’re cooler than Kanye on a polar bear.”
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Be Like You (feat. ASTA) is a great track about Esoterik’s experience of addiction, and in Make Em Say (feat. Ev Jones), he delivers powerful rap lyrics about embracing love and making your life the way you want it.
imbi the girl’s voice on final track Wide Awake is phenomenal. Strong and slightly husky, her voice blends seamlessly with rapper Spazzy D’s rapid-fire, low-toned rapping style. Esoterik’s echoing messages on this track are inspiring and along with Just For You, the song is definitely one that gets you pumped.
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A deeply personal EP, fans will be interested in enjoying this glimpse into the mind of Esoterik and the influences his life journey brings to his music, but also its just a great pump up album. I really think My Astral Plane also has the potential to bring a new dimension to the hip-hop scene, especially in Australia. It is always refreshing to hear such insightful and frequently positive lyrics in a hip-hop EP. The influences of other genres on the EP shows a crossover of styles even in hip-hop can be awesome in surprising ways.
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Although I loved Bliss N Eso, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this EP, and it blew me away awesome and diverse the range of tracks and collaborations are.
My Astral Plane is a blisteringly beautiful EP that gives every single track a place of its own in sharing Esoterik’s story of rebirth.
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