The boundaries of underground hip-hop are about to get shifted yet again. Multi-disciplinary creator Xeno Ray JNB has announced his next major artistic statement, a seven-track concept EP titled ‘and in my mind, i’m everyone CLOUD’. Slated for an August drop, the record will be preceded by a lead single arriving in late July, giving fans their first taste of a brand-new sonic architecture.
For listeners accustomed to the jagged, industrial edges and digital glitching of his previous project, ‘Mono Modern’, this upcoming release represents a massive aesthetic pivot. Instead of looking outward, the artist is turning his gaze inward, aiming for a heavy, atmospheric exploration of modern existence.
The record marks a significant milestone for the artist, who is embracing a far more intimate approach to songwriting. The project will find him shedding his skin to reveal the young, complex man operating behind the veil of eccentric, avant-garde art. It is a fundamental inversion of his past philosophy; where his older material sought personal identity by analysing the surrounding universe, this record focuses on discovering the world by looking directly at himself.
Musically, the EP promises an immersive, cross-genre cocktail. Listeners can expect an atmospheric sound collage that blends experimental hip-hop with the hazy, dreamlike textures of cloud rap and neo-psychedelia all defined by submerged, guitar-derived soundscapes. The technical framework has also evolved, with this record marking the artist's first time anchoring his production inside a laptop DAW environment. Navigating this setup proved to be a demanding learning curve, forcing his creative methods into unfamiliar territories as he seamlessly blended digital textures with the raw, live guitars tracked for the lead single, often burying those guitar layers to create ethereal, pad-like soundscapes.
The results are striking, featuring dreamlike, hazy instrumentation reminiscent of ‘Siamese Dream’-era guitar textures alongside deeply cosmic, haunted vocal harmonies. Lyrically, the album takes cues from the unvarnished, direct style of Cities Aviv, plunging into profound existential themes.
Beyond the EP, the creator is keeping busy by preparing the upcoming music visuals for ‘Mono Modern’. The project also acts as a gateway to his brand-new online outfit, ‘In Lovely Shade’, a blossoming side project and solo endeavour. While this side venture will explicitly chase alternative and pure rock exploration, the main Xeno moniker remains his primary, boundary-pushing focus.
Keep your eyes peeled for the lead single dropping late July on all major streaming networks. For updates on the August EP release and behind-the-scenes content, follow Xeno Ray JNB on Instagram and X.
