‘New World Music for the New Normal’ places the audio-scapes and production of Keith Hopewell within the context of post-pandemic life. Featuring artist collaborations across the UK and USA, the immediacy of file-sharing traversing time zones, is brought into being over a myriad of tempos and deep-time sonics. This compilation is the perfect sampler to stretch out Open=SRC Music’s manifesto of future philosophy.

The 21 track LP opens with a remix of ‘Escape to Peace’ from Hopewell’s project with Nomadic Poet last year under the collab name ‘HAQK’. This version features vocals from NRST GRN (formally Scientists of Sound) who also feature on the hauntological, sub heavy ‘Ghost’s & Ghouls’ , blurring the line between reality, fantasy, the ephemeral and shamanic.

Also representing the UK is OGR, a veteran of the 80’s sound system scene in Leeds, Known as both Gappy and Sardines. There is no better testimony than his involvement alongside ‘Ital Rockers’ sound system, than in the 2 hr 15-minute clip on YouTube of a legendary clash between Ital Rockers v Earth Rocker in 1989. On ‘New Time (Through the Grapevine)’ OGR holistically threads words and lines together to report on our present times. OGR’s ‘Ghetto Yout’ features twice, with version 1 delivered over a skanking, bubbling rhythm produced by LSK (Faithless) and mixed by Hopewell, who under his ‘Particle 2’ moniker produces a 2nd mix encapsulating the 80’s rhythm track aesthetic heard by dancehall godfather King Jammy.

As the album progresses, we hear from US guests. ‘Machine Elves’ features Myka 9 of LA’s Freestyle Fellowship/ Project Blowed. Here, Myka delivers his signature ‘choppin’ style as if in a deep ritual, as he addresses ethnobotany and experiences using ayahuasca and DMT. Two mixes present new alternatives to interpret the track in different time signatures, ranging from the dark and eerie sample-scape of the original mix to a more liquid techno-esc/broken beat affair on the ‘Deemsters Union Mix’.

Hailing from Houston, Texas, X.O.Vino and X-Mann lay down their lyrics with a deep southern drawl, as Hopewell works 808 booms at 140 bpm, re-imagining grime and drill for the new normal. On ‘Everyway’ X-Mann kicks off his readiness for pending war games in apocalyptic fashion, whilst on the track ‘Sometimes’, X.O.Vino spits pure dirty south flow, then opens the microphone to engineer and multi-platinum H Town producer ‘Mike B’ as he gives a shout out to Hopewell referencing his old moniker ‘Part 2’.

The compilation is stitched and connected by a series of short tracks and skits, seasoned with a mixture of voice messages by the collaborators and found dialogue from various bio-information technology seminars. On ‘Nothing is Stronger than Love’ Hopewell features on vocals, painting a picture of tomorrows absent future vision for this world, along with his partner Nikki on ‘Another World’ who questions the functionality of relationships in this era dubbed ‘the new normal’.

The grand finale in the closing stages of this compilation has to be the ‘Final Warning’ mix of ’40 Ounces of Palimpestial Equations’, featuring passages from the late Ramm:Ell:Zee’s mythology ‘Alpha’s Bet’. Following the sold-out cassette release on Open=Src Music, Hopewell reworks the analogue recordings gifted to him by Ram in 2001, when the New York City pioneer was working as part of Keith’s group ‘New Flesh’.

This album is a collage of autonomous culture and sound, viewed through the lens of cultural visionaries spread across the planet. The experience and wisdom of the collaborators and guests shines through - they are all over 50 years of age. Together they bring a solid understanding of the many genres that connect the historical timeline of alternative ghetto music forms. Hopewell collects the source elements, both vintage and contemporary then drops them into the cooking pot, gives them a gentle stir whilst bringing this new formular to heat and before serving to his audience.

Be prepared to dine…