Franco Franco x O$VMV$M stepping up, stepping in via the do you have peace label, coming with this dopo piece of yin&yang goodness hot on the heels of his 2nd album with Kinlaw on ATC.

Regular RWDFWD checkers will know that O$VMV$M and Franco Franco are basically family, so we'll of course have to admit some bias here, but at the same time, we have absolutely no qualms about biggin this one up - it's honestly great.

Music like this doesn't come around every day. Of course, like basically every action on this planet, there is a well of external influences and circumstances that add to the mix - after all, reflection is one of the great qualities of music, and also art.

In our opinion, the production style of Sam 'Neek' Barret and Amos Childs as O$VMV$M, and the way Franco Franco injects his unique flow and style is definitely one of a kind.

O$VMVSM have built a growing discography of great, and to us timeless, music over a series of works for labels such as their own Dollar Discs imprint, NoCorner, Idle Hands, via their collaborative albums with Young Echo's Manonmars, their Shroud Of Fear tape, and some killer remixes. 

Franco Franco is fresher on the scene, but already known and respected for causing proper raucous in a highly unique concoction of cyberpunk'd industrial rap with hints of medieval futurism, alongside regular sparring partner Kinlaw - locally and internationally. Here, he shows a different side with this O$VMV$M produced album titled 'Solo Fiori' - perhaps knowingly titled 'simply flowers', hinting at a more pensive type of introspection and vocal style which sits in great counterpart to his full force explosive style with ATC & Kinlaw, widening the scope once more.

On Solo Fiori, across 12 bittersweet tracks, Franco Franco guides the way down a kaleidoscopic waterfall of introspection, showcasing his highly original, fully-fluid vocal style.

O$VMV$M and Franco Franco conjure up worlds where moments of introspective psychedelia are juggled with tripped out euphoria, like fluorescent clouds passing by in the night sky telling stories and lyrical pathways which, in Franco's words relate to: 'tailored common life scenarios projected from the tiny room of one's brain. Average condition. Rollerflatter sum of the ups and downs usual for days like days. General upsets, syllables exercise, romantic doom, flipped moods, enemy in the mirror type beat.'

There is a deep blue mood going on here, but really, in effect when playing on the stereo (we've had this one on repeat 4 times in a row today, and we'll be listening again, no doubt) this album is a pleasure to listen to - the consecution, and the mix of style in the tracks are paced perfectly, and mood injections from real-life instruments (aka A1 heart-wrenchers Saxophone and Violin) played by Lorenzo Prati and Finn McAleer add extra invitation to really swoon in the depths of the music.

Much like (yet of course not the same as) the combination of Manonmars and O$VMV$M, there is a rough-edged tenderness to Franco's vocals which lends itself perfectly to O$VMV$M's skewed anthems, and this one should sit real nicely on the shelf alongside the work of all involved, and above mentioned artists - a real continuation, and a worthy switch up of that unique world of O$VMV$M, Franco Franco and all the players who play, and have played a part in the journey as a whole.

Big up Franco. Big up O$VMV$M. Go cop the album, and dig back into all their sideprojects if you haven't yet. You know it makes sense.

Vocals & Lyrics by Franco Franco
Music by O$VMV$M
Saxophone by Lorenzo Prati
Violin by Finn McAleer

Photography by Franco Franco
Illustrations by Skkinz
Layout by Amos Childs & Sam Barrett

Mastered by Benjamin Tregaskes 

1. *Flower

2.Cry4Me

3. Rainbird

4. Break Up Banquet ft. Lorenzo Prati

5. Necroman

6. Plenty

7. Octopus

8. Ti Vedo

9. Apatia

10. Later On

11. Heatwave ft. Finn McAleer

12. Outro ft. Lorenzo Prati