by MIKE

Released June 21, 2021 via 10k
Reviewed June 28, 2021
Top tracks (based on community voting)
alarmed! (43%), Evil Eye (36%), Babyvillain (in our veins) (36%)
Disco! takes all the strengths of Weight of the World and produces a more concise and consistent effort. The very lo-fi, surreal atmosphere of DJ Blackpower—using samples and even little details like the “purchase your tracks today” tags, J Dilla/Mantronix sirens, etc.—is like none other. Above all, MIKE has perfected his style and could legitimately contend for one for the best rappers in the game at just 25 years old. His abstract lyrics may be off-putting to some, but it’s perfect for the atmosphere. No matter the cadence, no matter the beat, he just glides over them like butter on a hot pan. This album is something special, and we can only expect great things to come next June 21st. – Alan (8.8/10)
Recovery is a lifetime deal, and MIKE proves year in and year out, summer by summer, that the music he makes is the vehicle that accelerates his path to good health. “Struggling? Nah, but I’m recovering…” is one of several lyrics in Disco! that truly defines the record, and it imputes a sort of silver lining that is simply absent from so many MIKE albums of the past. Listeners know the Jersey rapper/producer for his dejected lyrics, distant delivery, and tuneful but opaque instrumentals. While Disco! doesn’t attempt to defy precedent, it does offer a more colorful and vibrant collection of songs. MIKE himself appears increasingly comfortable and confident behind the microphone, signaling the potential for a definitively new era of MIKE music in the future. Due to the immersive and intimate experience of every MIKE project, his yearly album releases feel like real-life therapy sessions, in which the listeners are a silent therapist. His noticeable artistic and emotional growth is both exciting and rewarding to hear. – DeVán (8.1/10)
MIKE’s newest release has seemed to christen the summer with this message: You haven’t lost everything yet, and the pieces you have in your palms are enough to keep going. As Weight of the World was able to accomplish last summer, Disco! manages to crystallize an emotional landmark in MIKE’s own life, on a long road to recovery. He may not ever fully recover from the loss of his mother, but nobody ever truly has. Accepting that he won’t ever get over that loss is a resounding motif on Disco!, reflecting his growth and acceptance. Everybody should be able to respect a climb from the abyss like MIKE’s, no matter how dizzying a project of his may make you feel. This album is not bliss, or sadness, or grief. It’s the rediscovering of life’s beauty as one begins to further overcome loss. Disco! expands on Weight of the World’s realization that life is worth it sometimes, and its amalgamation of feelings and sounds reflects that growth. Dance as you cry. There will come a time when you’ll be unable to do either. Seize the day, no matter how much the day before had seized you. – Ben (Synth) (7.5/10)
MIKE's Disco! has a seemingly sloppily slung together sound. But its liquid and free flowing form molds and melts in ways unlike any other. MIKE stands on his own in a world of misaligned, off-centre essence. Skewed off-course, he intends to derail your train of thought with lines like “Only death will show you how to live,” forcing existential questions into frame. It's done in such a manner that you'll miss it if not honed in on the craft. His seventh studio album in seven years shows us that we're on the receiving end of one of the finest acts around—never mind the fact that he's still under 25 years of age. New to the game, but wise in his ways, MIKE remains two steps ahead in thought and execution on Disco! – Peter (7.5/10)
Alan: 8.8/10 | DeVán: 8.1/10 | Jared: 8/10
Ben (Synth): 7.5/10 | Peter: 7.5/10 | Dominick: 6.5/10
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