After four years of EPs, singles, and a mixtape, FLOHIO has released her debut album proper, Out Of Heart. The first taste of the LP came with “Cuddy Buddy” back in June, before she officially announced it alongside “SPF”, followed by “Highest” last month.
Longtime collaborators God Colony and Speech act as executive producers on the project, and there are a few surprises inside. The South London rapper’s trademark raucous delivery is still there on some of the tracks, but there are also more melodic moments (see: the disco-tinged “SPF”), and she even toys with more fluid vocals (see: “Against The Grain”).
Elsewhere, FLOHIO takes heavy inspiration from video game soundtracks, and there are some allusions to the Afrobeats, soul and gospel records that soundtracked the family home when she was growing up.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the new album, FLOHIO said: “I grew up around the time of [consoles] like PlayStation and Nintendo. I’m bringing back the nostalgia of me in my living room playing games with my friends at age 10. Game soundtracks, like Final Fantasy and Super Mario—I wanted [Out Of Heart] to speak to my inner child and where it all started, while bringing me back to now and who I am today.”
Press play on Out Of Heart below.
