To understand Mélange, the latest album by Wellington-based hip hop artist Guans, it helps to understand the origins of the word, which essentially translates to “mix”. This is fitting for an album with sonics ranging from vintage samples to heavy-hitting sub basslines. Scattered with deliberately chosen vocal clips from sports games and old movies, the album begins to feel like a meditation of lives lived, yearned for, and perhaps still to come. With Dune Part Three set to hit theatres shortly one can’t help but draw parallels to the fictional substance mélange from this universe which allows visions of the future and past and, when wielded correctly, tremendous power.
The opening track Nonstop does not hesitate to give the listener a crash course on all the above. A vintage string intro quickly weaves itself into a thumping sub-bass that would sound fitting patrolling the waterfront of Oriental Bay on a Saturday afternoon. This track was written and recorded five years ago and serves as a nod to a younger, simpler self. It seems as though you can even hear the youth in his voice as he delivers the, at times repetitive but empowering lines.
The fadeout, sounding as though the needle of a record has been lifted, blends Nonstop gracefully into the second track Beverly Hills. Featuring guest vocals from local artist Johnny Walker the track’s introduction continues the Nonstop narrative, “I don’t think this is ever gon stop”. These continued references to time enforce the existential and nostalgic themes of the album over a fitting soulful boom bap beat. This song continues with the swagger of the first but with a delivery that sounds somehow wiser. The vocal cadence utilising pauses and rolling timbres hints at a more introspective tone, switching from lines such as “I’m god’s gift to this world” to “my whole life fearing what is really superficial” in neighbouring bars.
The introspective tone continues to build through Gorgeous and into Easy which enters with a slow and smooth beat true to its name. As Guans states “I just got my confidence back” in the midst of some carefully constructed flows, this song feels like a moment of realisation. The mixture of youthful swagger and introspection from the previous songs seems to balance out with a genuinely earned confidence. The crisp production and vocal mix on this song stand out too.
This sentiment holds steady through the paradoxically named Lie and Trust into Rags. Thematically, Rags feels like the calm after the storm. The song starts with a nod to J Cole, one of the great reflective lyricists, with the lines “let me take y’all back, as I do so well”. However, this song feels well past any first times. The song is about acceptance and responsibility. Lines like “what is really out there for yourself, gotta find a way” point hopefully to the possibilities of life, but in a realistic way with the knowledge that nothing comes for free.
As the soothing melodies of the album’s final song/outro Mélange fade out, Guans reassures the listener that “we can make it if we try”. This optimistic spin fittingly caps an album full of songs that speak to those trying to figure out where they are in life. Throughout his music Guans wears his heart on his sleeve which encourages a sort of contemplation from the listener. This album doesn’t feel like a collection of songs stitched together but more like a journey of self-discovery and acceptance with the confidence to inspire us all to never stop going.
