Written by Sam Blackman. Photographed by Prisca Tozzi.
Hot off the back of his latest full length project “Blood In The Sand,” UK underground mogul GYPTXVN writes his name in the sand of the scene and dares the waves to wash it out on his new “Old Roses” EP.
Otherwise known as Flexo Kobain, GYPTXVN is a familiar name to anyone with their head above water in the UK scene. Through both aliases, GYPTXVN has collaborated with some of the most exciting names in the UK right now, and has been sowing the seeds for his own success for some time. Unlike other artists who explore alter egos in their work, GYPTXVN tends to each of his personalities simultaneously, and has curated an impressive body of work across both.
GYPTXVN’s February 2023 project “Blood In The Sand” was a defiant demonstration for his vision of a new sound, Cyperstep: a maximalist, ethereal flavour with clear influence from Cyberpunk aesthetics. With this new EP, however, GYPTXVN makes his versatility clear - through both variations from his archetypal sound on his preceding project, in addition to the conscious reconstruction of the core elements between the two tracks on this Double EP.
Across both tracks, GYPTXVN and his two features (Lord Sujin and Kibo) reflect on the past and change, each with a unique view on how we can appreciate what once was, whilst remaining mindful to the power of the here and now. On the first track we are immediately greeted by a nostalgic instrumental, bringing forward ideas of the past from the outset. The trumpet silhouettes itself against the bars of each artist, and aids their lyrical constructions. This is the type of beat that makes you imagine yourself driving down a long, winding road on the coast, backdropped to a beautiful, crimson sunset. This is synthesised with introspective but confident lyricism from GYPTXVN, working with the instrumental to hypnotise the listener and construct this nostalgic state of mind. Imagery of the pyramids links to GYPTXVN’s own artistic aesthetics, as well as serving to illustrate how the past can be beautiful, even if things are no longer how they once were – the pyramids may be empty, but they are still breath-taking.
GYPTXVN shows off their ability as a producer to link this thematic message across beat and bars again through a reversal of the sample to transition into Lord Sujin’s guest feature. As the trumpet inverts on itself, you feel yourself pulled back from the hypnosis and into the present, which reflects the importance again of nostalgia without allowing yourself to be consumed by its beauty, or blinded to the present. This feeds seamlessly into Lord Sujin’s instruction to not cling to these Old Roses, to let the flame die and to grow. To focus on yourself when times are difficult, but to draw on this power and to master it – instead of allowing it to have mastery over you.
With co-production from Mannydubbs, the second half of this EP repurposes the key features of the primary track and transforms them, maintaining the soul of the beat but allowing it to co-exist harmoniously with hard 808s and twinkling hats. Impressively, the production duo attain this, without compromising the themes laid out in the first half of the EP and whilst enabling the artists greater expression with their flow.
This is demonstrated by guest feature Kibo throughout, whose understanding of the beat allows him to come with greater venom and velocity on this track, not backing down when the beat hands him the spotlight and deftly tackling bar after bar on his verse. In line with this new pace on the second track, Blackburn Rovers becomes the main vehicle through which Kibo characterises his message. From former Blackburn players like Benni McCarthy and David Dunn, to GYPTXVN's references to Míchel Salgado and Christopher Samba, Blackburn Rovers acts as a perfect paradigm to re-express the nostalgia we saw on the previous track.
This is especially powerful through Kibo’s reference to the 1995 season, where Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League for the first time since they last championed the First Division in 1914 – as well as receiving their first trophy since their 1928 FA Cup win. In line with the message of the EP as a whole, Kibo then notes that things haven’t been the same since then – referencing Blackburn’s notable lack of success. In all, this comparison again demonstrates the depth of GYPTXVN and Kibo’s lyrical constructions, even though Blackburn haven’t been quite as successful since, they’ve had some memorable players like Roque Santa Cruz – proving that you can still appreciate the past, so long as you remain mindful of the present.
We had the pleasure of speaking to the man himself, GYPTXVN, providing us with his own insight behind his two-part EP.
"Nostalgia, Heartbreak and tones of Love all come into the spotlight for the double EP, Old Roses.
The first song featuring Lord Sujin is slower and dances around word-play across an 80’s Jazz sample. My verse stretches around a past and present tense lady figure who have now become ‘Old Roses’. In the first half of the first song I am speaking on a girl whom I had known since knee-high, hence the cheeky references to Blackburn Rovers (as they were in the Premier League, again, another reference for the Old Souls). Lord Sujin’s verse follows on from this as he speaks on his own old roses and the symbols of feeling low now from leaving them.
The second version becomes more jumpy, it is the same sample that is in the first song but I’ve worked with with Mannydubbs & Kibo on the drums. The track drums share a drill and slightly jersey like cadence, Kibo starts off this one with tongue-twisters and again cheeky references to old Blackburn Rovers, and the script of being an Old Rose and also having an Old Rose. My verse follows as there’s no breaks in the second one, ending my verse with high ambitions in search for a new rose and manifesting I’ll be doing better now that I’ve left my Old Roses!
In conclusion, Old Roses to me was like letters to my old flames, women with mixed energies I have been surrounded in both friendship and relationship vibes. The objective was nostalgia and I’m always nostalgic, and I know you guys will hear it more in my words too, Old Roses represents the opposite of being conceited, so it’s more so I was humble and thoughtful about all my old roses."
GYPTXVN’s “Old Roses” EP is available now on all streaming platforms.
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