The routine. The
grind. The daily. Some do their 24-7 on a treadmill. Not Phrase. He maintains
a sharp eye on the day-to-day and stays above the vicious cycle. To him, it's
'Clockwork'. 'Clockwork', the new album by Phrase, is about time. And times have
changed.
Forget what you knew about him. His acclaimed APRA and ARIA nominated
debut album, 'Talk With Force', was yesterday. 'Clockwork' is not only about the
now. It's about the next. Phrase has crafted a stellar sophomore effort, tweaking
his beats, his narratives, his world view. "'Clockwork' represents the last
four years of my life,'' Phrase says. ``It represents change.''
Phrase,
from Melbourne, Australia, endured broken relationships and personal tragedy while
making his new album. The cruellest blow was losing his close friend, Nathan Smith,
to a seemingly uncaring mental health system. That loss is detailed in the standout
cut, 'Chains'. "He was a normal kid who ended up in the system,'' Phrase
says. ``And he came out more messed up than when he went in.'' These life-changing
incidents gave Phrase much-needed moments of clarity. "It made me wake up
my circle of friends - people wasting opportunities and making bad decisions,''
he says. "It made me want to get out and make the most of my time.''
That
bold maturity, and sense of purpose, keeps 'Clockwork' ticking. The title track,
a JJJ hit, is an anthem for life in a rut. "I've come to a point where I'm
comfortable in myself, what I'm doing and where I am in life,'' Phrase says. "I
used to be an angry young man. I spent too much time and energy trying to be the
tough guy. "However, I was knocking my head against brick walls.''
But
don't get it twisted. Phrase is still upset. He's furious at the system that failed
Nathan Smith. He's frustrated by the distractions that mask the real questions.
"They dangled a carrot in front of my face,'' he raps on a new cut, 'Spaceship'.
"To stop me from hunting for food for thought.''
Phrase, as always,
is pushing things forward. Aptly, producer Jan Skubiszewski (J-Skub), who oversaw
'Clockwork', is a futurist, too. Skub helped Phrase sculpt a live sound for 'Clockwork'.
"I didn't want to make another hip hop record,'' says Phrase. "I wanted
less loops and more live instrumentation.''
From there, they raided their
parents' record collections for inspiration. "We got a lot of ideas by listening
to Cold Chisel,'' he said. ``Then we built our own riffs using live guitar, drums,
bass and strings.'' Those electric underlays power 'Burn It Down', a potent rhyme
about priorities. "All I need is the bare essentials,'' Phrase says. "My
family, my friends, my music, and what I want to do in life.''
Of course,
Phrase hasn't forgotten where he's from. 'Back To The Street' retraces his steps
to success and hip-hop factions. 'All Good' is an honest portrait of life on the
suburban fringe, a kid with no-name brand runners and a rap dream.
Now,
with his second album, 'Clockwork', Phrase has furthered his aspirations. "I
still take inspiration from the darker side of life,'' he says. "I have issues
with the system. I don't want to live by somebody else's rules.'' And to those
that think otherwise, Phrase knows what time it is.
It's 'Clockwork'.
'Clockwork'
is available now.
