I love big drums, but I am not willing to sacrifice the dynamic range of a song just to get a loud 808. “Future’s sound and my sound are also about having a huge dynamic range. What I am imparting to my mixes is listenability and polish. Not that I won’t dirty up individual parts with a distortion plug-in sometimes, for an effect, but my overall mixes are attractive, modern, and translatable. But if you want something beautiful, I can do that. Some people want it grittier and dirtier, and I recommend that they go elsewhere. My sound is very clean, very wide, with everything in its own space, in its own pocket. “Our sound is directly related to the sound I’m imparting to music in general as an independent contractor. “Future and I have developed a sound over the years,” explains Firkins, from his 5X5 Studio just outside Atlanta. The creation of Future’s distinctive sound world owes a lot to his right-hand man in the studio, Atlanta engineer and mixer Seth Firkins. This impressionistic and atmospheric vocal approach is underpinned by trap-influenced backing tracks that tend to have an equally atmospheric vibe, and that don’t try to ram home attention-grabbing rhythms, chord changes, or instrumental hooks. Although there are a few guest vocalists on HNDRXX, including the Weeknd and Rihanna, most of the time Future’s unique, Auto-Tuned rapping and singing is the only vocal content, and his lines aren’t exactly sing-along earworms. In fact, he recently made history by having successive US number one hits with two different albums, released a week apart, when his eponymously titled fifth album was knocked off the top spot by his sixth, HNDRXX (pronounced ‘Hendrix’).įuture made chart history by having two different number one albums in successive weeks.His achievements are all the more impressive because his music is not obviously commercial. Though he has never enjoyed a US Top 10 single, his 2014 second album Honest hit number two on the Billboard charts, and his subsequent albums have all reached the top spot.
The unique sound world created by Future and engineer Seth Firkins has brought the Atlanta rapper record-breaking success.įuture is that rare thing in the world of hip-hop: an album artist. Album DescriptionSeth Firkins has become Future’s right-hand man in the studio. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. When digested with Future, HNDRXX shows listeners what lies beneath the veneer and posturing, a brief look at the struggles one man must face when the party ends.
"Selfish," the Rihanna number, is a bittersweet, yearning highlight. R&B stars the Weeknd and Rihanna offer two high-profile features on HNDRXX, bringing their own pain and catharsis to Future's therapy session. On "Turn on Me," a late-album track packed with some of his more exposed open-journal rhymes, Future wonders "why ain't happy." After all the boasting and bravado, it's almost refreshing to hear him be a normal, damaged man. "Use Me" serves double-duty, not only as a plea to a woman, but also as a tempting call from his drugs. So while the production here isn't as exciting as on Future, the vulnerability displayed makes HNDRXX a highlight in Future's catalog.
For fans in search of more substance than what would typically be found in his usual trap bangers, HNDRXX offers one of the deepest views into the rapper born Nayvadius Wilburn's soul. Without ever mentioning her by name, ex-girlfriend Ciara looms over many of the songs, the former couple's legal troubles bleeding into Future's wounded lyrics. Languid and self-aware, HNDRXX presents Future as a man lamenting past sins and missteps. Released just a week after his self-titled fifth effort, Future's HNDRXX provided an introspective and confessional complement to the more extroverted Future. Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.