H31R (pronounced heir/air) is an experimental electronic hip hop duo composed of New Jersey producer / composer JWords and Brooklyn rapper / vocalist maassai. Blending together their worlds, new album HeadSpace via Big Dada, creates an enigmatic but complementary sonic experience that pushes the fickle boundaries of genre.

The LP manoeuvres through its 14 tracks with blazing speed. “Glitch In Time” sets the tone for the album with gritty bass, groovy drums and quirky melodies resonating throughout. It contains moments of introspection and self-reflection on songs like “Static” and “Reflection” while the edifying diptych of “Rotation” – an oscillating track capturing the essence of dark and light – and “All Over The Place”, which transcends duality and expands to a multidimensional self, signify markers of growth. Elsewhere is “Backwards” which, despite its name, is a propulsive track that seeks to move forward from things holding someone back, and “Train of Thought”, that examines the mechanisms of thinking, starting off more concrete before gradually becoming abstract by the song’s end. ‘HeadSpace’ also features contributions from the likes of rising Chicago-based rapper and producer semiratruth on the affirming “Glass Ceiling”, and a playful verse from Detroit-based Grammy-nominated producer and rapper Quelle Chris on “Down Down BB”.

Recommended if you like… keiyaA, Lorraine James, Nappy Nina, Coby Sey, Space Afrika