"Sisyphus" - Sisyphus [Spotify Official Album Stream]

Hip-hop supergroup Sisyphus have released their self-titled debut album through Asthmatic Kitty Records. The trio consists of indie god Sufjan Stevens, singer/producer Son Lux and rapper Serengeti, which makes for a soothing yet comical combination.

The overall style of the album is divided somewhat evenly between the three of them. For instance, on "Lion's Share," the interplay between Serengeti's rapping "dance, dance, put the money in your pants" and Sufjan singing "Give me the lion's share," makes for ridiculously catchy and hilarious track. Sisyphus is filled with these moments like "My Oh My," where Sufjan shows of his background in wind instruments, Son Lux layers on electronic wobbles and Serengeti talks about his favorite game shows.

It seems that Sufjan hasn't completely gotten over his stint of making electronic since his last album, Age of Adz. In the afterglow of his 2010 album, he's retained these influences and put them to good use on Sisyphus.

Going along with the humorous theme of the album, Sufjan gave an amusing interview last December, detailing the collaboration:

"The first EP was the Bastard Stepchild of Myspace and Pets.com. We did it all remotely. For this one, we decided to make everything together in the same room. And it was a very small room. Things got messy. There was a lot of Axe body spray and menthol cigarettes and red wine. The whole thing was done in three weeks total. Fast and furious. Geti kept saying what happens when the jams come on Spotify at the frat party? Are they singing at the hook, is the bass thumping, are the girls grinding? Lowest-case scenario. I mean, seriously, this is far from frat party music, it’s still heady as shit, but that was our objective, to trust our impulse and make it fun, for whatever it’s worth."

The main source of inspiration for the album comes from installation artist Jim Hodges. Sufjan explained that Hodges' work is mostly abstract and avoids a clear narrative, meaning that there wasn't much of a literal conceptualization. Similar to Hodges work, the album is well-crafted and sentimental, but upon further inspection, bleaker undertones are revealed.

Sisyphus is streaming for free above and is available for purchase on iTunes and Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Sisyphus tracklist:

1. "Calm it Down"
2. "Take Me"
3. "Booty Call"
4. "Rhythm of Devotion"
5. "Flying Ace"
6. "My Oh My"
7. "I Won't Be Afraid"
8. "Lion's Share"
9. "Dishes In the Sink"
10. "Hardly Hanging On"
11. "Alcohol"

Source: Spotify