Punk, metal, and rap duo HO9909—comprised of dual vocalists theOGM and Eaddy—continue to expand the boundaries of genre with their new record, Tomorrow We Escape out Sep 9 via MNRK Heavy.
theOGM promises that their new work still boasts their “traditional sound in terms of it being high energy,” noting, “On this record, it’s a sound that has grown as we’ve grown as people and us finding new ways of making music. Some bands are just legendary and popular for what they did at that time, and we don’t want to stay put in that box and become this one sound. We want to be able to grow and express our musical range and artistry, so it’s an evolved sound and [a process] of trying new things and not compromising.”
Hailing from New Jersey, the now Los Angeles-based outfit expertly mix genres of rap, punk, EDM, and metal to make their own version of danceable, enthralling rock. Raised on a diet of hip-hop (DMX is one of the duo’s favorite rappers), music of the African Diaspora such as doo-wop, jazz, and cumbia, MTV’s slew of rock music videos like System of A Down, the duo’s foray into the rock world came when they traveled to Brooklyn to attend pop-punk shows and made their way into the hardcore scene, seeing a side of the rock scene that was inclusive of those who looked like them. The duo broke into the scene with their debut LP, United States of Horror followed by the internet release of 2019’s Cyber Cop [Unauthorized MP3], a seven song EP that delves into the dangers of internet life with tracks such as “Is It Safe to Internet? [Unknown Virus 1]” and “Delete My Browser History [Unknown Virus 6].” Additionally, they collaborated and shared stages with artists such as Korn, Rob Zombie, Cypress Hill, and Alice in Chains. With Tomorrow We Escape, the outfit continues to carve out a space for other forms of rock and make their own rules around genre.
For the twosome, this new record is a step into an honest, personal direction, one that gives listeners “a breath of fresh air and an escape from bad situations.” Though their past work is politically charged, the duo wanted to show a more intimate side of themselves. “I wanted to be more honest with myself. The political aspect is only one side of the struggle so you wanna be able to talk about all struggles and everything that’s going on.” Being the dad of a young son has opened up theOGM’s eyes and has made have to “move in a certain way” because he’s learning through him. “That process alone has made me have to put my thinking cap on and write from a different perspective.” Eaddy adds that you have to “check yourself” in order to check anybody else. “There’s so much going on in the world right now and it’s very overwhelming. You have to sit back and realign yourself, focus, and push through. That’s on a personal level and family level. If you’re going [on] that political route and that’s what you’re about, you gotta go that route, but everybody has a different route.”
Much of the album’s tracks speak to these feelings of anxiety, frustration, and escapism. The single “Upside Down” captures the feeling of having one’s life spiraling and not knowing which path to take, but ultimately finding your own way. For theOGM, being engulfed by feelings around what is occurring globally and personally came to him before a lyric was written. “When we make music, we listen to the instrumental first and then it just comes to us. That feeling of being overwhelmed was the first thing that came to mind when I heard that melody.” Other tracks such as “Incline” and “Target Practice” harken to the melting of genres, the former containing “fuck it all” energy and the latter being a song that includes Blade Runner style synths and gritty flows that revolves around the frustration with how the music industry expects artists to write songs. theOGM describes an exasperating conversation that led to the creation of this song. “We were hearing ‘You need to write this song, and it needs to feel like this, and this is the type of song that’s going to get you here.’ I was like ‘Who the fuck knows what a hit is, man?’ Like, nobody knows. You work on a bunch of songs, and you put it out. For some reason, the song goes viral and somebody likes it. Everybody’s trying to get there, nobody’s going in there to create something that’s not going to go hard. Nobody really knows what a hit is.” Comparing this experience to a scene from the film Bohemian Rhapsody in which Freddie Mercury and the rest of Queen are told that a track that they believe to be a hit song is not a hit only for it to be a classic tune, theOGM says that industry experts “just have to let me cook” and make art the way that he knows how to do it.
This record is for both new fans and OGs who are seeking community in these difficult times, say the duo. Described as an “emotional rollercoaster of the human psyche”, the message of the record is one of shared humanity. “We’re all human beings and we all go through different stages of emotions every day. A family member could have passed, you’re going to a party with friends, or you’re at a show raving. It’s [all] walks of life and we’re going through things in our personal lives that other people can relate to.” With Tomorrow We Escape H09909 gives listeners a “light at the end of the tunnel.” “We just have to be focused enough to get there.”
Tomorrow We Escape is out tomorrow, and you can preorder it here. Follow Ho99o9 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for future updates.
Photo Credit: Nick Fancher
