Michigan native DJ Soko is part of a long line of great technical DJs, musical innovators, curators and those who broke key artists and introduced acts that forever changed the landscape of the music scene. Sokos ear and ability to put emcees in position for them to shine over the perfect production is never more evident than it is on his debut project released on his imprint Left Of Center. DJ Soko uses his years coming up in the Detroit scene, his experiences DJing in his current home (the planet of Brooklyn, NY) then blends both of those worlds together seamlessly. The end result is a gritty, boom bap Rap album that is equally as soulful and introspective as it is rooted in a blue collar lyrical Hip-Hop aesthetic. *Domino Effect* is ultimately brought together by Sokos deft cuts and scratches which elevate each composition and make them resonate with listeners even further. Pressing on transparent red vinyl.
DJ Soko picked from the best and brightest among his immediate circle of associates, including his crew members The Left (Apollo Brown & Journalist 103). Soko reached out to groups like Clear Soul Forces and Ugly Heroes in addition to heavy hitters and veterans like Guilty Simpson, Finale, Marvwon, Kaimbr, Hassaan Mackey and Rasheed Chappell all the way down to up and comers like Nolan The Ninja, Stryfe and Jae Musick then matched them up with production harder than frozen over sidewalks in February provided by Apollo Brown, Def Dee, Newstalgia, Slimkat78 and NAMELESS amongst others. “Domino Effect” refers to when an event sets off a chain reaction of events or by-products that grow progressively larger and larger in scope over time.
Each beat sets the stage for the emcees. Each verse sets up the next verse and ramps up the level of lyricism. Each one of DJ Soko’s scratches push the beat and lyrics forward even further. This happens song after song over the entire project until the final product stands out amongst an era of disposable music. “The Domino Effect” is about seeking to make timeless art in hopes that propels the next project then another thus creating a much larger domino effect which spreads until it results in better quality music being released across the board. Just press play and watch what happens next…Album available August 21st, 2015 on Soko’s Left Of Center imprint, distributed through Fat Beats.