The Vienna-based Hip-Hop duo Unison, consisting of English-speaking MC Shnek and DJ Crum, teamed up with legendary Linz producer Flip from the group Texta to create a diverse, mature, and dope Hip Hop album that sounds both timeless and modern.
Unison was founded in Vienna in the early 2000s, originally featuring members MC Shnek, DJ Crum and WhizzVienna. The group quickly gained recognition in the Austrian Hip Hop scene and released an impressive series of records over the years. After a long hiatus of 15 years, Unison surprised fans in 2022 with their comeback album “Expectations*” marking their return to the Hip Hop scene.
With their new album “Nowadays”, they seamlessly follow up on their last release. However, this time, the entire album was produced by Texta producer and MC Philipp “Flip” Kroll, who gave the 12 tracks a cohesive, sample-based sound with strong influences from Soul and Jazz. It’s refined connoisseur Hip Hop, where Shnek shines with introspective raps and DJ Crum impresses with razor-sharp scratches. There is only one feature on the track “Listen Up!”, where they brought in reinforcements from Detroit—specifically, Underground Rap giants Guilty Simpson and Phat Kat (known for their collaborations with J Dilla, Madlib etc.).
“Nowadays” proves that international Hip Hop with English lyrics can also come out of Austria and be received globally, as demonstrated by the significant airplay the singles received on various radio stations.