Novelist has always been a forward thinker when it comes to music. It seems like an age ago now, but when ‘Take Time‘ dropped it was seen as the bridge between two styles of grime that people thought might have been incompatible. He’s a different artist these days. His output over the last few years has come with an assured message; emphasising religion, positive thinking and clarity of thought as important facets of his life. He’s fostered a clear identity on the production side, too. Minimal and full of space, it gives a continuity to his back catalogue impressive for an artist of his age.
‘Active’ is the first drop from ‘#52WEEKSOFFIRE’ and the first track to be taken from his forthcoming project ‘INFERNO’. The track kicks off with a strong affirmation, as Nov spits “right now I’m on action / action, no I’m not acting.” The line is spat with metronome like precision, and the way the words are of similar sound gives the track a psychedelic feel. Where an MC would normally spit a one line flow for impact alone, Nov uses it to give impact and add atmosphere to the track. Thick 808s ring out from the low end, and the melody is comprised of a single dissonant drone that de tunes and re tunes itself over the course of the track. It puts the focus on the bars, with Novelist going on spit more life gems as the track goes on.
‘Active’ builds on Novelist’s burgeoning back catalogue, fitting in nicely with the music he’s been releasing over the past eighteen months. There’s a joined up feeling with his output – every word is thought through, and every word has weight.
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The Art of Grime 