They say sleep is the cousin of death. Reigniting interest in soul-laden boom-bap and honest social commentary, Don’t Sleep is the product of MC Angus Younga (of Broken Aesthetiks) and longtime collaborator, Melbourne based producer BryZone YBP. This ain’t a comeback. Its an introduction to a new pair of hip hop heavyweights. They aint asking for your attention. They’re warning you: Don’t Sleep. Awakening the senses with the subtlety of an anvil from a tall building, the combination of heartfelt poetry, political observation, witty humour and tales from memories past comes with the territory for Angus Younga, who has previously collaborated with Ruste Juxx, Raven (Crate Cartel), Fatty Phew, Cam Bluff and DJ Butcher, and shared the stage with the likes of Maundz, Bliss N Eso, Fluent Form and more. Not one to bite his tongue, honesty permeates throughout Angus’ intelligent deconstruction of life in urban Australia, and his observational humour of modern society is often followed by brutal and unforgiving punchlines, flexing his written skills to other MCs. Melbourne producer Bryzone YBP is no newcomer to hip hop production, having worked with several international acts, including members of Little Brother and 9th Wonder’s crew, Justice League. Combining a keen ear for intricate and worldly samples, with a thirst for heavy drums and percussion, the production on Don’t Sleep stands tall in a field of often-mediocre and poorly constructed musical compositions. Add to this mix the expert mastering contribution of Joe Carra from Crystal mastering, and the soundscape of Don’t Sleep is on the opposite spectrum of any fatigue causing hip hop. Spanning 16 tracks, Don’t Sleep’s debut release is a gateway to two new players in Australian hip hop. Not ones to be wary of, ones to be aware of. With one successful film clip and single already gaining multiple hits and more to come, the steam train that is Don’t Sleep shows no sign of stopping.