Description

Put any two points on a flat plane, and no matter the distance, a straight line will always be the fastest, most direct path connecting them. In this way, the length of that line represents not just distance, but also the time and energy required to reach your destination. Seldom is the outsider—observing from a top-down perspective—aware of the stamina needed to traverse the journey from point A to point B. Enter Philly MC Anwar HighSign (fka Has-Lo) and Boston-area producer Dr. Quandary, reuniting on October 31, 2024, seven years after their last official collaboration on Quandary’s Jukebox Buddha, to connect these dots and bring the listener forward with them. Now, as The Fortunate Ones, the duo blesses the listening landscape with their debut LP, RESIN.

Originally conceived in the immediate wake of their 2018 solo releases, the project feels like a ritual incantation, with HighSign’s effortless-yet-urgent vocal cadence gliding over Quandary’s intricate soundscapes. Both Quandary and HighSign reach new plateaus that transcend their prior work as solo artists and collaborators, navigating an increasingly unforgiving landscape where identity politics, social strata, and digitally conflated media mechanisms have obscured once-clear lines of play. RESIN finds HighSign exploring themes of remembrance and self-reflection, creating a tomb of memories and a space for meditation.

Sonically, HighSign’s vocal delivery is at times conversational, punctuated by a soft tenor that weaves delicate harmonies which evoke the fragility of the human experience. Quandary expertly delivers a sample-based backdrop that seems as indebted to the dusty archival material of Alan Lomax as any contemporaries. The result is a project that is an island unto itself, greater than the sum of its parts, requiring repeat listening that rewards the audience with what might be one of the most important albums of the year.

Follow the line these two trace from point A to B, and experience a transformation in real time, just as they have.

RESIN is now available for streaming via Bandcamp & all major digital platforms.