Ivan Ave - All Season Gear (Album)
Photo Credit: Mohamed Chakiri
Norwegian hip-hop talent Ivan Ave shares his fourth studio album All Season Gear, released 10th March via Mutual Intentions.
The album, featuring a host of prolific producers and artists, was recorded throughout the pandemic, and is a pertinent reflection of the seasons he, his friends and the wider world were experiencing at the time. Alongside production from Ivan Ave himself, he has collaborated with a range of iconic hip-hop producers including Sasac, Mndsgn, Like from Pac Div and DJ Harrison, as well as long-time collaborator and close friend FredFades.
The album starts with ‘R U (Gonna Eat That)’, a lyrical tribute to the album’s contributors, with Ivan describing “who [he’s] eating with” over a soulful instrumental, brimming with jazzy piano lines and guitar licks. Next up is the self-produced ‘Bread’, the second pre-release single from the album, containing a catchy, melodic vocal hook over a piano loop, with Ivan expressing the importance of brotherhood and family. ‘Post’, the focus track on the album, kicks off with a simple drum beat, reminiscent of old-school Roland drum machines, which is then augmented by ambient synths and a relaxed, feel-good delivery from Ivan, who recounts the endless possibilities of post-lockdown life, neatly condensing the overarching meaning of the album into this easy to listen to hip-hop tune.
The first section of the album is then wrapped up by ‘Don’t F*k Up (Interlude)’, which samples recordings from Ivan’s 2022 headline show at Hootananny Brixton, and includes an amusing anecdote from a crowd member who shouts “don’t f*k up!”. The interlude concludes with a Vocoder style vocal melody that brings in the next tune, ‘Sweet’. This track is a contemplation of Ivan’s experiences over the last two years, and an ode to his supporters and peers that have helped to shape his decorated rap career. The next tune, ‘Pre’, contains sweet female vocals supporting Ivan’s melodic delivery, as he reflects on how he is still in the ‘pre-season’ of his musical journey, and has a lot more to come.
After a short jazzy interlude titled ‘ASG’, an acronym for the title of the album, comes ‘InTheCut’, a soul infused track featuring Manchester based soul/hip-hop group Children of Zeus. This track’s lush R&B arrangements form a foundation for CoZ’s Tyler Daley’s stunning chorus, divided by spirited verses from Ivan and CoZ’s Konny Kon. This track is followed by the hard-hitting hip-hop track ‘What A Day!!!’, where Ivan expresses gratitude for the life around him as well as sharing his observations of his surroundings and situations he’s found himself in, both in the music game and the world at large. The beat is peppered with metallic percussion, which combines beautifully with the sharp twang of a wonky piano loop, resulting in a complex, textural piece of music. Next is ‘Orbit’, the first release in the lead up to the album, and featuring hip-hop heavyweight Jay Prince and talented singer Zee. This synth filled composition is complemented by the acoustic, jazz style drums, with sharp flows from both Ivan and Jay, glued together by a brilliant chorus from Zee.
Following this comes ‘All Season’, a rich production with a Latin sounding drum line that perfectly fits the groove of this jazzy tune, awash with funky basslines and piano improvisations. Among other lyrics, Ivan mentions his upcoming European tour, which is set to kick off on 24th March and will visit various iconic European venues including Amsterdam’s Paradiso, London’s Jazz Café and Barcelona’s Razzmatazz 3. The penultimate track on the album is ‘Gear’, an introspective track on materialism and the technological obsession of the commercial world, with Ivan ruminating on “human nature, we some scrolling ass souls”. High pitched synths pierce through the track as Ivan delivers his laid back but meaningful lyrics, atop a guitar loop interwoven with a relaxed drum rhythm.
The final track on the album is aptly named ‘Unpack’, which signifies Ivan digesting everything he’s gone through over the last few years. The modern drum patterns compared to the classic boom bap sound Ivan is known for suggests a new direction for Ivan, showing that he’s been able to “unpack the trauma”, adapt to his surroundings, and ultimately become a more well-rounded and capable individual.
Having worked with a range of seminal producers and rappers, including Kaytranada, Dâm-Funk, Mndsgn, Like from Pac Div and DJ Harrison, Ivan continues to set the bar exceptionally high with All Season Gear. It is an introspective, soulful album that truly displays Ivan’s maturity and meticulousness as an artist.