Kurupi "No Esperes"
No Esperes acts as an accumulation of Josh’s recent output as Kurupi. It pulls together the tracks found on Mano and ties these with the AA-side singles, “Mutt” / “BounceWitMe” and standalone, “Stove”. Kurupi’s output is very collaborative so while being helmed by Sanchez, he frequently taps into the tight-knit friendship group that he surrounds himself with for features and production work.
Inspired by the DIY punk/rap shows that he attended as a teen, there’s a feeling of community imbued in the album tracks with regular appearances from FourHEAD, v_nus m_jia, J Promptu and Specifix, as well as one offs from Diani and Tony Ramirez with Cudimitsu mixing and mastering the full project and montie producing the track, “Mano”. It’s a lively, eccentric release that dips in between genres and influences carrying a freedom with it that was previously embodied by the likes of Odd Future and BROCKHAMPTON, cut with the slacker-rock aesthetic of Beach Goons, FIDLAR and Wavves. There’s something about No Esperes’ ability to flaunt genre stipulations – and utter lack of care for them – that plays into the community and reckless spirt at the heart of the record. It’s an equal bouts cathartic and introverted, peering inwards to find what it needs to let go of the most. Kurupi finds himself at the center of an exciting time in the LA punk/rap scene, emerging at the same time as the likes of Belaganas.