No Panic No Pain

Approfondimenti

Alongside Slowthai and Ms Banks, Flohio is part of a new generation of English rap artists who, since 2017, have been able to carve out a niche for themselves beyond the borders of the UK. While they might not be typical of the sound that prevails on their side of the channel, they have the merit of being terrifically talented and unique. This debut album, No Panic No Pain, condenses (into ten tracks) all that the south London native has to offer. Her charm comes from the wild energy she exudes, both on stage and in the studio.  The first titles, FLOFLO! and Unveiled, sound like two surgical strikes: powerful, complex productions. This is Flohio, alright: "Energy, energy, energy / Got more energy in me / Energy, energy, energy / I need energy right now". But No Panic No Pain also gives her an opportunity to show that there's more to music than energy. Her groove reaches its climax in the two-track sequence made up of With Ease featuring Kasien, and Roundtown. The first gives way to a perfect symbiosis of flow and rhythm; the second brings out Flohio's Jamaican influences: growing up, the artist was weaned on dancehall sounds. Ultimately, the biggest surprises come from the album's economy and precision, as on Active with its diaphanous production, which marks a departure from the initial joyful excitement. This album confirms its author's status, but above all it is a success on its own terms. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz