Trip hop is alive and kicking with Yikes the Zero’s most psychedelic album to date

In a rap culture dominated by trappers and pop stars, psychedelic rap has taken a backseat position, but Philly’s Yikes the Zero is doing what he can to shake up that dynamic. Yikes takes us on a distorted sonic excursion with Doctor Molotov’s Gallery Of Portals. Each track on the album is a completely new set of sounds that has nothing to do with the track before it.

To put it very frankly, Doctor Molotov’s Gallery of Portals is the musical child of a sci-fi movie and backpack rap. Yikes the Zero has impressive lyrical instincts and maintains a very consistent flow throughout the whole project, but the album is so fun to hear because his rhyme schemes interacts with the instrumental on each track in wildly different ways.

Songs like “This Wall Opens” and “Shards” utilize very unorthodox drum samples which are highly syncopated and leave space for Yikes’ gravely, understated flow to come and explain the journey of absurdity that is Doctor Molotov’s Gallery of Portals. To listen to this album, an open mind is essential to get the full effect of the music.

Enter the Gallery of Portals below, and check out Yikes’ 2016 release The Animal Box while you’re at it.