- Digital
Black Sumo
Silent Stones
First Word Records
- Cat No: FW369
- Release: 2026-04-10
- updated:
Track List
24bit/44.1khz [wav/flac/aiff/alac/mp3]
First Word Records is proud to present Black Sumo, and his first full single release for the label, 'Silent Stones / Rehearsal' .
Black Sumo is the instrumental-hip hop alias of KRTS aka Kurtis Hairston; an artist raised in Pittsburgh, USA, traversing to Brooklyn, NY, and currently residing in Berlin, Germany.
Here we have two tracks taken from a forthcoming 12-track beat tape entitled 'Clarity', scheduled to drop April 2026.
In the early period of the pandemic, during a walk & talk with a "Covid-meter" of distance between each other, KRTS strolled the empty streets of Berlin with a friend. The details of the discussion are a blur, but the statement "yo, that is as rare as a black sumo wrestler" is recalled. They laughed & continued their walk. KRTS began reflecting on those words. "Black Sumo… That could be an artist name… But, what kind of music?…". His friend agreed & quickly confidently replied "definitely hip hop beats".
So was born the moniker & the concept. Sonically it began as a homage to the instrumental beat tapes he'd make in his dark & musty basement in Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. Raw & gritty, they combined jazzy lo-fi boom bap, reminiscent of early 90's East Coast & Bay Area sounds, with added flares of dramatic layered melodies, and a hint of Shoegaze-esque walls of reverb.
'Silent Stones' epitomises that conglomerate of aural textures and represents a full flavour of the forthcoming project. Ethereal filtered ambience gives way to reveal an infectious dose of headnod hip hop, sharp kicks & snares, and a hook that the more discerning heads will no doubt recognise.
Meanwhile 'Rehearsal' appropriately sets up the sonic footing as we intend to proceed.Crisp crunchy drums reflect the season, like footsteps through frozen snow. Light-shuffling jazz percussion accompanies twinkling glacier-like bells and ethereal harp strums, which filter in and out breezily throughout the track.
This one is available April 10th on all digital platforms, with full 'Clarity' to come in late Spring, also on limited cassette.
Black Sumo is the instrumental-hip hop alias of KRTS aka Kurtis Hairston; an artist raised in Pittsburgh, USA, traversing to Brooklyn, NY, and currently residing in Berlin, Germany.
Here we have two tracks taken from a forthcoming 12-track beat tape entitled 'Clarity', scheduled to drop April 2026.
In the early period of the pandemic, during a walk & talk with a "Covid-meter" of distance between each other, KRTS strolled the empty streets of Berlin with a friend. The details of the discussion are a blur, but the statement "yo, that is as rare as a black sumo wrestler" is recalled. They laughed & continued their walk. KRTS began reflecting on those words. "Black Sumo… That could be an artist name… But, what kind of music?…". His friend agreed & quickly confidently replied "definitely hip hop beats".
So was born the moniker & the concept. Sonically it began as a homage to the instrumental beat tapes he'd make in his dark & musty basement in Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. Raw & gritty, they combined jazzy lo-fi boom bap, reminiscent of early 90's East Coast & Bay Area sounds, with added flares of dramatic layered melodies, and a hint of Shoegaze-esque walls of reverb.
'Silent Stones' epitomises that conglomerate of aural textures and represents a full flavour of the forthcoming project. Ethereal filtered ambience gives way to reveal an infectious dose of headnod hip hop, sharp kicks & snares, and a hook that the more discerning heads will no doubt recognise.
Meanwhile 'Rehearsal' appropriately sets up the sonic footing as we intend to proceed.Crisp crunchy drums reflect the season, like footsteps through frozen snow. Light-shuffling jazz percussion accompanies twinkling glacier-like bells and ethereal harp strums, which filter in and out breezily throughout the track.
This one is available April 10th on all digital platforms, with full 'Clarity' to come in late Spring, also on limited cassette.
