As I have stated many times on this blog recently, the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene is popping off more than it ever has in the last couple of years. I feel like the city is slowly starting to get some of the shine it deserves. Milwaukee Hip Hop artists are becoming increasingly more well-respected and highly thought of throughout the industry by the day, and they are starting to make more and more of an impact by the week. For years, when people thought of Milwaukee Hip Hop artists, they thought of a very specific type of quirky Drill music, but this image is slowly starting to change. Milwaukee has as diverse a Hip Hop scene as any other Hip Hop hub in the country, and there is something for all fans of the genre being made by the musicians in this city. An artist whom I wrote about near the end of last year who has a sound and style that is totally distinctive and his own is Daark. He is someone who takes elements of that traditional Milwaukee Drill sound and flips it into something completely distinctive and different. His music has the eccentric and larger-than-life feelings of Milwaukee Drill music and puts a low-end and harsh twist on it that makes it stand out. If you are a fan of underground artists like Bones or the $uicide Boy$, Daark is someone you would enjoy. Daark had a big 2023, releasing many singles(and some remixes to those singles) and an EP called Battle Damage 2. This EP was among my favorite projects released by Milwaukee-based artists in 2023, so go check it out after reading this if you have not yet. Daark closed out 2023 with an EP called Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1, which is a collaboration between Daark and some of his favorite Milwaukee, Twin Cities, and Eastern European musicians. I did not get a chance to check this one out before the year ended, but I am happy to get to listen to it now. Here is how I feel about Daark’s new project Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Daark and Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1, and also comment the names of any other up-and-coming artists you think I should check out.
Daark gets Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1 going with ‘Inner Circle,’ which features AK Fields, TheGreatWiggz, and Dem Callin Beats. This is a great track to get this project started, as it is hard-hitting and smooth at the same time. The melody, which is provided by some monotone, saturated synths, has an anxious feeling to it that provides so much energy. The drums that make up this beat punch super hard and match the vigor of the melody, but also have a groovy rhythm that gives the song a free and easy feeling. All three of the vocal performances on this track are great, and they are all dramatically different. Daark and AK Fields have more even-keeled deliveries, but TheGreatWiggz raps with an intensity that contrasts the other two in the best way. I also enjoy how varied each rapper’s tone is, as the difference in vocal tones gives this song so much life. ‘Lady Terminator,’ which features Lady Sabo, Sumer, and Stix, is a lot more upbeat than the first track on the record. Whereas ‘Inner Circle’ has a bit more of a relaxed kickback sort of beat, this one has a fast-paced beat that would get any dance floor jumping. ‘Lady Terminator’ is an aptly named song, not only for the fact that it includes Lady Sabo, but also for the actual instrumental. There is a dystopian and robotic element to this song that almost makes the song sound like it is from the distant and not-so-nice future. The melody and beat on ‘Lady Terminator’ are metallic yet rough. This song has a feeling that reminds me of the vampire club in the movie Blade. Daark and Lady Sabo rap with a level flow and low vocal tone that ride this beat perfectly. Sumer, however, raps with a higher pitch and a bit more of a fiery flow that provides a cool contrast with the other two artists on the track. ‘Lady Terminator’ is a fun and audacious track that makes me want to party when I hear it. ‘Fortress,’ which features Bakarii and Dem Callin Beats, has a sound that I did not know was in Daark’s bag, to be honest. This song has a lighter sound than anything I have heard from him to this point. It has the kind of Melodic Trap sound that one may expect to hear from Lil Durk or Polo G. There are still elements to this track that have the kind of looming energy that I expect to hear from Daark; the melody for this song is pretty gloomy and creepy, and the beat does hit very hard. Overall, though, this song is a lot more floaty than his other music. Daark sounds great on this instrumental, as his flow and tone sit so nicely on this beat. In my opinion, though, Bakarii steals the show on this one. I love how effortless his flow is on this track, and the tone he sings with gives the track so much life. ‘Fortress’ is a cool track that shows a different side to Daark’s artistry than I had previously seen, which I appreciate a lot.
‘Big Lizard,’ which features Gucco, was the last single released by Daark before this EP came out at the end of the year. I wrote about this song when I wrote about Daark back in December. This is a high-energy Pop-Trap banger driven by highly saturated synths and church bell sound effects which is put over a distorted, rapid beat. Daark’s flow on this song is lively and high key, matching the massive feeling of the instrumental. Like ‘Lady Terminator,’ this track has an underground Goth club feeling to it. ‘Big Lizard’ is the kind of track that makes me want to party the night away in a warehouse, but also sounds like something that may play when running away from a killer in a scary movie. ‘Lakewater,’ which features Spraynem and Tombo, is another track with a sound I did not expect to hear from Daark. This is the freshest and most ultramodern track on the instrumental. It has a bright, shimmering sound that sort of reminds me of artists like Ken Carson or Destroy Lonely. Unlike the music that those two make, though, this song is extremely upbeat. The beat is a bit off-kilter and strange, almost giving it a HyperPop feeling. The best way I can describe it is that it is like a fusion of futuristic Pop-Trap and HyperPop. I like how saturated the synths are that drive this melody, as they give the song an apprehensive and soothing feeling at the same time. All of the vocals on this song are very good, but Daark is the one that takes the track over the top. His deep tone contrasts the instrumental so well, making the song pop in such a cool way. ‘Lakewater’ is an interesting and fun track that once again shows the variance in Daark’s abilities. Daark closes Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1 with ‘Kidnapped – Stix Remix Raptor Chase,’ Maz G, Marie Valentine, Aczavier, and Stix. As you may have guessed, this is a remixed to the song ‘Kidnapped,’ which came out in October. The main difference between the original version and this one is that this one is sped up. The original version of this track is very cool, but I have to say I prefer the sped-up version. There is something about this version of the track that gives it so much life. I especially like the way Marie Valentine’s vocals hit when paired with the pitched-up vocals from Maz G and Daark, as this gives the song an intensity I appreciate so much. ‘Kidnapped – Stix Remix Raptor Chase’ is a dynamic version of an already very good song, and it is a great way to close this project out.
When I came across Daark’s music late last year, he quickly became one of my favorite Milwaukee-based rappers. Everything about Daark’s music is so distinctive, from his foreboding, enormous instrumentals to his powerful vocals, Daark has a sound that makes him stick out from the crowd. Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1 is a great project that has elements of the things that made me start to dig Daark’s music so much to begin with, while also showing a diversity in his artistry that I did not expect. Not only does this project prove that Daark is becoming a master at the kind of music that he is more known for, but also shows there is a lot more to his talents than most people have seen up until this point. Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1 is a super enjoyable project from one of Milwaukee’s many rising Hip Hop stars, and it makes me excited to keep following him in the future.
EAST SIDE VIBES 