Fresku – In De Lucht Part 1 (LP)

Fresku on his first independent album, In De Lucht Part I:

“In de lucht came about very naturally and organically, and I really hope you can hear that too. Before I started recording, I did practically nothing for a year, partly due to the whole corona situation. In March and April 2020, I still hoped that the virus would disappear quickly and that I could start touring again and stuff, but yeah, little did I know. I was in quite a slump back then, and I felt very burdened when I asked three of my favorite artists to join me at a songwriting camp for two weeks to work on my new album. I thought: what if it doesn't work out? What if the flow I'm in right now translates into my music? Am I not asking too much of Lennard, Mucky, and Shadi? But in the end, this approach actually worked really well. It turned out there was a lot pent-up inspiration sitting inside me that came out all at once.

I remember sitting in the studio one day… Lennard had just finished mixing something and took off his headphones; I was already working on another track and, to be honest, I didn't remember what our tune from earlier that day sounded like. Then Lennard played the freshly mixed track, and it really hit me. And I started crying my eyes out. From happiness, you know. I felt: this is exactly what I dreamed of for this album. This is the sound I wanted. I brought the right people together, and in a short period, we really created something new. I'm also certain that this has become my most intuitive record ever. I really made what I felt, let's go, bam. Sometimes I wrote bars without counting. I didn't think: we're going to calculate how long a verse needs to be; we just recorded. Usually, I'm someone who analyzes and overthinks things, but now I dove completely into the moment. And I really hope people can hear that on the record. Just as I hope they hear that we tried to create something new that simultaneously fits in with my earlier albums.

To me, *In de lucht* feels more unconstrained than the earlier Fresku. Years ago, I often wanted to chew subjects over completely. Now I think: if we capture this moment, this vibe, then that’s perfectly fine. On earlier albums, I sometimes thought: people really need to know that I mean this seriously. But sometimes, by doing so, I took away the space for listeners to find or feel something for themselves, or to discover something on their own. I think I’m making music now that doesn’t force anything on you, that takes the listener along naturally and loosely. That also has to do with my age: no one wants to hear a relatively old rapper who sounds preachy or know-it-all.

For me, this album is very much about intuition. About the feeling that something is in the air. And not knowing exactly what will come of it; not knowing, also, whether you are flying or landing. That doubt, that uncertainty—that is what this album is all about for me. *In de lucht* is the first part of what is meant to be a diptych; the second record will be more about the feeling of taking off, about perspective. I remember walking down the stairs during one of our recording sessions in Tenerife; the sun was shining brightly and at the same time I saw the clouds all around me (that’s how high we were). It felt like I had landed in the loading room of The Matrix, as if I were floating in the infinite void. It was magical. And that hopeful and powerful tone is one that few people know from me yet: I have rapped a lot about my road to success, about the struggles, about the mentality needed to overcome those struggles. From now on, I also want to address more and more other subjects in my work.

All in all, In de lucht really feels like a new debut. That also has to do with the fact that this is my first independent release – after twelve years at TopNotch, it was time for that. A new chapter. I dare to embrace the role of seasoned rapper or legend, or whatever others sometimes call me, a little more now than before. And it makes me very excited to make music without making compromises. Now I decide things entirely on my own, and I can step on the gas just a little bit more. When you go all out, like I am doing now, you naturally run more risk, but you can also execute things exactly as you envision. It’s in all sorts of small details: I’m someone who wants an extensive booklet with an LP. And in the future, I want to expand the Baranka label step by step. That will be done very cautiously, only if I can invest the time in someone that I also invest in myself. But some great shit is coming, mark my words. This is a new beginning.”