Salient

Album Review: Flowz - In the Heart of the City

By Joel Cosgrove | 19 May, 2008

I’ve loved Flowz’ music since I first heard the Wellington based Footsouljahs (of which he is a core member) ages ago. There’s always been a certain degree of honesty in his work that’s reflected in the music that he makes. Not necessarily Wellington, but of life in general, it feels real.

There’s no change on his recently released album In the Heart of the City. You might not have heard of Flowz or the Footsouljahs, but in the Hip-Hop sphere of NZ, Flowz (nee Fiso Siloata) is acknowledged by many of its premier figures in song and in shout-outs, with this flowing through into the record as Chong Nee and the Footsouljahs’ DJ Raw stepping in on production duties, adding a clarity and crispness mixed with a certain amount of grainy distortion. This album pumps when turned up. Also deserving of a mention is the presence of Joe Dukie (Fat Freddy’s Drop) and Savage (Deceptikonz), who appear as guest vocalists. The influence of this talented team shows through strongly, supporting and backing Flowz in what comes through as a deep and layered record. Themes range from the unseen grind and joy of bringing up kids, the struggle of surviving in a harsh competitive world, to songs celebrating the success of family and friends.

I put the CD on for a listen and played it through a number of times, blowing me away in the process, with both its narrative and song structure, seeming tying all the loose threads that developed in the various songs into a seemingly coherent package at the end. ‘My Promise To You’ and ‘History In The Making’ are songs that stood out, conveniently at the beginning and end of the record, as concise, sharp, irreverent observations and statements by Flowz.

Flowz and his band the Uzos have been playing at Sandwiches, and these cats are mean live. I’d fully recommend checking them out in the near future, as they’re definitely a crew to watch. But before the next gig, have a listen to this album. It’s well worth it.

4.5 stars