Being born in Somalia to a clan renowned for its poets and storytellers, then raised in Manchester (by way of some schooling in Denmark), there’s no doubt that HMD’s upbringing has shaped his unique sound and approach.
If you’ve heard his self-produced debut release W16nter, you’ll be familiar with his crooning sweet-boy rap style flows, and in the video you’ll see some of this in action.
You get a rare glimpse into how both artists work in the studio, and how their chemistry enables them to create on the fly so well together. HMD takes a back seat whilst MNTCSTRLIXBEATS constructs the skeleton of the beat, incorporating samples from both of the vinyl at hand.
There’s elements from the experimental techno sounds of Unconditional by Sonic Insomniac, alongside a strong female vocal sample on Scruffy Bear’s Water.
As the track builds, HMD focuses on the concept and melodies, and sprinkles some of his magic on the production by playing some keys.
The cherry on top is when they manage to create a dream-like outro skit from the audio they caught of the busker on Market Street.
Catch the video above to watch everything come together, then head over to Soundcloud to hear the finished track in full, titled ‘Vibes Resurrected’