Artist Database: F > Fliptrix > Polyhymnia
The album itself is an unrelenting journey though the mind of an MC at his clinical best and backed by the solid steal production of MOLOTOV making this his fifth full release one of his most consistent and adventurous to date. FLIPTRIX has taken a path of creative development that has seen one album follow on from the next in a narrative that his die hard fans, of which there are many, will follow. His message is a powerful and concise one of togetherness and his unrelenting creative drive to tackle new and unapproachable subjects, many of his peers would naturally avoid, places him in a unique space fully on his own.
To those who are aware of Fliptrix’s work rate and seemingly never ending expression of new ideas will understand why this new album title is based around the subject of Muses, the 9 ancient greek goddesses of inspiration. Of the nine masked spirit women adorning the cover which all represent specific sources of inspiration, Polyhymnia is the muse of sacred poetry, geometry, meditation and eloquence which are themes which pertain heavily to Fliptrix as an artist. The other muses surrounding the Ouroboros (snake eating its tail, representing eternity/life/death & rebirth) represent everything from tragedy, history, comedy, astrology, music, poetry and more which are all themes that are also touched upon on the album. The figures and the snake are encapsulating an Enneagram, an ancient symbol representative the 9 character traits found in humans (whose points are all corresponding to a different muse). The stunning artwork directed by Fliptrix and Illustrated by JayPee complements the albums content perfectly. High Focus Records have become renowned for putting in as much time and effort in to their artwork and packaging as they do with their music, this album is no exception as the listener could literally spend hours relating the images to the music and back again. The album cover is a dense, intricate and complex piece of symbolic imagery and the same can be said of its musical content.
Like the album cover suggests, there are many angles, moods and themes covered on the record, yet all gel together seamlessly to form a cohesive whole body of work. The first glimpse of 'Polyhymnia' came in the form of the ‘Vultures’ single, an uncompromising statement of intent, not only for Fliptrix himself, but a call to arms for the whole High Focus movement as they take on the beast of commercial culture, which alongside resurrecting the legacy of UK Hip Hop has been the labels mantra since the beginning, he raps “I feel the change getting closer / the mainstream held the reins now we taking over…. ‘Vultures’ was followed swiftly by ‘Praise The Sun’ a more light hearted affair showcasing the versatility on offer, featuring none other than High Focus Records’ discovery and soon to be house hold name; Rag N Bone Man. The third single ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’, is yet another completely different piece of work which shows Fliptrix at his poetic best plucking the heart’s strings as he tackles questions about life, death and the state of human minds and society. The fourth and final single to be lifted off the LP is the title track ‘Polyhymnia’, which is set to come out on release day. Again, completely different from its first three predecessors, this double time beast of track has Fliptrix at his technical best, as he bares all delving deep into the concept of inspiration and what it means to him. These four tracks only represent the tip of the ice berg, for this album is full of incredibly dense meaningful songs which, much like the artwork, encompass everything from the afterlife to the source of inspiration itself and includes features from none other than UK Hip Hop legend Chester P, Rag N Bone Man as well as Fliptrix’s own super group The Four Owls.
With an already incredibly impressive back catalogue, it is astonishing to see Fliptrix at the top of his game, more relevant than ever before with a record that will be in the hearts and minds of many for years to come. This truly is the concluding chapter to the saga that began with ‘Third Eye Of The Storm’. Seeing the artist come full circle, taking a victory lap as he cements his position as one of the scene’s most prolific artists as well as one of its pioneers.