Fans of our website and Australia’s blossoming hip-hop scene will likely be familiar with Lumi’s work, even if you don’t recognise the name at first. An immensely talented artist from Mullumbimby, Byron Bay, Lumi began his musical journey as iLUMiNATiVE, releasing a string of impressive and original releases like 2022’s ‘Shapeshifter’.
Now under a new moniker, and with a new creative energy, Lumi is firing on all cylinders and continuing to carve out a brilliant rock-rap sound. Released this month, ‘The Rebirth’ is a powerhouse return for the artist, delivering eight original tracks that see Lumi detailing his spiritual awakening through music.
Proving he’s lost none of his power or prowess with the name change, Lumi jumps into action with opening track ‘Higher Love’, balancing his fierce vocal delivery with orchestral strings and heavy, modern beats. Pushing that rap-rock hybrid, with gentle flourishes of modern electronica, ‘Higher Love’ hits hard, despite the lightness of the instruments, setting the standard for things to come. As the album continues, ‘Non-Duality’ arrives as a standout track, cloaked in choral back vocals and dynamic electric guitar riffs, it’s a track of undeniable originality and power where Lumi lets genres collide and he creates something truly groundbreaking.
Elsewhere, ‘Youniverse’ continues to impress, while ‘Entheogenes’ sees Lumi returning more to his rap roots, capitalising on dramatic tones and sweeping vocals overlays to show his skills are sharp as ever. The title track takes hold with a unique sense of style, offering another highlight and milestone for Lumi’s audience with its bursts of heavy bass tones and spiralling electronic flourishes. An experimental triumph where Lumi ‘gets to work’, the title track captures the essence and ethos of the album perfectly. For the closing three tracks, Lumi keeps the energy high and the music on point, splicing together neo-classical sounds with transformative rap anthemics that close on a high through ‘Divine Beast’ and ‘Infinite Awakening’, while also perfectly reflecting Lumi’s spiritual style and journey.
A fierce release that exists between worlds, ‘The Rebirth’ is a powerhouse return from Lumi, introducing his new moniker and refined style without hesitation. Built on a distinct and expressive sound that is perfectly backed by his passion and sharp lyrical abilities, the album stands tall as one of the year’s best rap-rock hybrids.
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