Song You Need: U.K. rapper KAM-BU is at one with nature on “Fall”

Flock Together, a birdwatching collective for people of color, branch out into music.

June 10, 2022
Song You Need: U.K. rapper KAM-BU is at one with nature on “Fall” KAM-BU  

The FADER’s “Songs You Need” are the tracks we can’t stop playing. Check back every day for new music and follow along on our Spotify playlist.

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If the three EPs that the Flock Together collective released in April passed you by then you'd be forgiven; after all, one of the group's main aims is make people pay attention to that which flies over their heads. Having started out in 2020 as a bird watching group providing a safe space for people of color to enjoy nature, Flock Together has branched out into music as a means of bringing nature to the people. It's a bit of a galaxy brain idea but listening to Taste The Sky - London, one of a trio of city-specific releases (New York and Tokyo being the other two) that dropped in April, soon I felt the urge to feel fresh air in my lungs and embrace the nearest muddy path.

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KAM-BU's "Fall" is the perfect entry point to Flock Together's mix of laidback rap beats and more ambient sounds. Built around a nagging hook, the London rapper talks about feeling isolated and the way substance abuse works its way through a group of friends. It's heavy stuff but dealt with a lightness of touch, as if KAM-BU is passing through the murk and into a brighter place. It is immediately followed by the low-slung "Chance" instrumental on which a thick bass line is embroidered with birdsong. These two songs together feel like something of a mission statement from Flock Together: come for the music and leave with something new to consider about your surroundings. The benefits of interacting with the natural world are undeniable, though sometimes, you just need a reminder.


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Song You Need: U.K. rapper KAM-BU is at one with nature on “Fall”