Lucy Bedroque - c (2026)
An abrasive and excessively chaotic experimental hip-hop album, combining distorted synthesizers, frantic percussion and heavily processed vocals with occasional interesting melodic fragments. Lucy Bedroque demonstrates considerable imagination and a distinctive approach to digital production, but the relentless intensity, repetitive arrangements and lack of memorable songwriting make the album more exhausting than enjoyable. Some interesting ideas emerge from the chaos, although they rarely develop into satisfying compositions.
With c, Lucy Bedroque continues exploring the boundaries between underground hip-hop, rage, digicore and experimental electronic music. Following 2025's UNMUSIQUE, the Los Angeles artist delivers fifteen compositions built around distorted synthesizers, aggressive percussion and heavily manipulated vocals. It's an ambitious and occasionally interesting approach, but one that I find difficult to appreciate beyond its production techniques. The music has plenty of personality, although relatively little that I genuinely enjoy.
What interests me most is the unusual electronic production and the willingness to experiment with extremely abrasive sounds. The synthesizers are frequently distorted beyond recognition, the bass occupies an enormous amount of space, and the percussion moves between trap, rage and fragmented digital rhythms. Lucy's voice becomes another synthetic element, alternating between rapid rapping, processed melodies, falsetto and occasional screaming.
Unfortunately, I often feel that the production is more concerned with creating maximum impact than developing interesting musical ideas. The individual sounds can be fascinating, but their constant accumulation makes the compositions difficult to distinguish.
"ALL SPEAKERS GO TO HEAVEN" establishes the album's aggressive direction immediately, combining distorted electronic production with almost metalcore-inspired screaming. I appreciate the attempt to move beyond conventional hip-hop vocals, but I find the result particularly exhausting. The production is extremely dense, and the aggressive delivery leaves very little room for melodic or rhythmic contrast. It's an interesting experiment, but not an enjoyable introduction.
"THE 9TH CIRCLE" introduces a slightly more melodic approach, with brighter synthesizer textures and some unexpected electronic details. I appreciate this contrast, particularly because the previous composition offers very little relief from its aggressive atmosphere. However, the track remains relatively short, and the more interesting melodic ideas don't develop enough to establish a particularly memorable identity.
"SPEED DEMON" returns to a more conventional rage structure, with powerful synthetic bass and relentless percussion. Lucy's delivery has considerable energy, but I don't find the songwriting particularly interesting. The composition relies almost entirely on rhythmic impact, and the production feels rather interchangeable with numerous other recordings in the same genre.
"STONE IN FOCUS" is one of the more intriguing tracks on the album, mainly because of its relationship with Aphex Twin's atmospheric composition of the same name. I appreciate the contrast between the contemplative source material and the aggressive electronic production.
However, I find the transformation rather disappointing. The original atmosphere becomes largely submerged beneath distorted bass and aggressive rhythmic elements. Rather than creating an interesting dialogue between ambient music and experimental hip-hop, the arrangement frequently feels as though the more delicate elements are fighting to remain audible. It's an interesting idea that doesn't fully convince me.
"MISS BEHAVIOR" continues with heavily distorted synthesizers, aggressive percussion and processed vocals. The track has considerable energy, but I find the arrangement rather monotonous. Once the central instrumental idea has been established, relatively little happens to develop it. The result is another composition that prioritises sonic aggression over memorable songwriting.
"B.Y.O.B." introduces some rhythmic variations, although the overall approach remains very similar. The bass is enormous, the vocals are heavily manipulated, and the percussion maintains a constant sense of urgency. I appreciate some of the production details, but they don't contribute to a particularly distinctive composition. The music feels more like an exercise in digital sound design than a fully developed song.
"OROCHIMARU" is slightly more playful, with an energetic vocal delivery and a stronger sense of rhythmic movement. I appreciate the unusual electronic textures, although the composition still relies heavily on familiar rage conventions. The distorted instrumental layers become increasingly repetitive, and I don't find the central musical ideas particularly memorable.
"MARRIED TO MY JEWELER" is one of the more tolerable tracks on the album, mainly because of its relatively focused structure. The vocal delivery and electronic arrangement interact more effectively, creating a clearer sense of direction than on several of the preceding songs.
Nevertheless, the songwriting remains relatively basic. The central musical ideas are established quickly and don't evolve substantially. It's enjoyable enough in short bursts, but not something I would particularly want to revisit.
"C SECTION" continues with a mixture of cloud rap, hypertrap and abrasive electronic production. I appreciate the rhythmic energy, particularly when Lucy varies the vocal delivery. However, the distorted synthesizers frequently overwhelm the rest of the arrangement. The composition has some personality, but the lack of melodic development makes it rather forgettable.
"CO POISON" is another particularly exhausting composition, built around heavily compressed bass and aggressive percussion. The production has considerable impact, but I struggle to identify anything particularly distinctive beyond its intensity. The arrangement feels repetitive, and the vocals don't introduce enough variation to maintain my interest.
"SAFESPACE" moves towards a slightly more fragmented electronic direction. I appreciate the idea of integrating the voice into the synthetic textures, creating an unusual relationship between vocals and instrumentation. However, the production is so dense that the melody becomes difficult to distinguish.
This is one of the album's recurring problems: there are potentially interesting musical ideas, but the arrangements rarely allow them enough space to develop. The result is technically intriguing without becoming particularly enjoyable.
"ZYGOTE" pushes the distorted production even further, creating an almost continuous wall of synthetic noise. I appreciate the commitment to experimentation, but I find the composition particularly abrasive. The individual instrumental elements become almost impossible to distinguish, and the lack of rhythmic or melodic contrast makes the track rather unpleasant.
"SSJ2" introduces some brighter synthesizer textures and a slightly more accessible vocal approach. I appreciate this change of atmosphere, particularly after the aggressive preceding compositions. However, the arrangement remains crowded, and the melody is relatively weak. The song contains some appealing fragments, but none develops into anything particularly substantial.
"ERASE YOUR SOCIAL" is my favourite track on the album. I particularly appreciate its stronger rhythmic foundation and the way the electronic textures contribute to a more coherent arrangement. The production remains aggressive and distorted, but the different elements seem to work together rather than simply compete for attention.
The groove has a slightly more distinctive character, and the vocal performance fits the instrumental arrangement relatively well. There is still limited melodic development, but the composition maintains my interest more successfully than most of the album. It's one of the few moments where I feel that Lucy's unusual production techniques genuinely benefit the music.
"PEACE IN PANDEMONIUM" concludes the album with another aggressive combination of distorted synthesizers, electronic percussion and intense vocals. I appreciate the attempt to provide a powerful ending, but the composition doesn't introduce enough variety to distinguish itself from the preceding material.
By this point, the relentless production has become rather exhausting, and I find the conclusion more of a continuation of the same musical ideas than a satisfying final statement.
My main problem is the almost complete absence of restraint. Lucy Bedroque clearly has considerable creativity, but nearly every composition relies on heavily distorted synthesizers, overwhelming bass and aggressive percussion. These elements can be effective individually, yet their constant presence makes the album sound increasingly monotonous.
The production is another significant limitation. I appreciate electronic music that experiments with unusual textures, but here the distortion and compression frequently obscure the underlying musical ideas. The instruments compete for attention, and the vocals become difficult to distinguish from the surrounding noise. I often find myself trying to identify individual elements rather than appreciating the compositions.
The songwriting is particularly disappointing. Most tracks establish an aggressive beat, introduce some unusual synthetic sounds and then continue without substantial development. There are relatively few memorable melodies, unexpected harmonic progressions or interesting structural changes. The emphasis remains on immediate impact rather than building something musically rewarding.
I also find the vocal performances rather frustrating. Lucy's ability to alternate between different styles is impressive in principle, but the frequent processing, screaming and exaggerated delivery occasionally become irritating. I would have appreciated more variation, particularly a few restrained passages where the voice could develop a stronger melodic identity.
The lack of contrast is another problem. Despite the wide range of influences, the album remains almost constantly aggressive. The occasional softer synthetic textures provide brief moments of relief, but they rarely last long enough to establish a genuinely different atmosphere. The result becomes exhausting long before the album finishes.
The relatively short compositions don't help either. Many tracks feel like production sketches rather than complete songs, introducing one or two unusual ideas without developing them substantially. I appreciate concise songwriting, but the limited structures make it difficult to establish a connection with the individual pieces.
I also find the album rather derivative at times. The distorted rage production, digital textures and heavily manipulated vocals recall numerous contemporary underground hip-hop artists. Lucy certainly has a recognisable personality, but I don't always feel that the musical ideas are sufficiently distinctive to justify the extreme production.
Nevertheless, there are occasional interesting moments. The synthetic textures can be imaginative, particularly when the production introduces unusual melodic fragments or rhythmic variations. I appreciate the more focused arrangements on "ERASE YOUR SOCIAL" and "MARRIED TO MY JEWELER", while "THE 9TH CIRCLE" offers a glimpse of a more melodic direction that could be explored further.
There is also something appealing about an artist willing to experiment without worrying too much about conventional musical expectations. I appreciate this attitude, even if I rarely enjoy the resulting compositions. The technical creativity is evident, but I would have preferred stronger songwriting and greater control over the arrangements.
Ultimately, c is a rather disappointing experimental hip-hop album, with some interesting production ideas and occasional moments of rhythmic creativity. I particularly appreciate "ERASE YOUR SOCIAL", "THE 9TH CIRCLE" and parts of "MARRIED TO MY JEWELER", where the arrangements become slightly more coherent.
However, the relentless distortion, repetitive structures, excessive vocal processing and lack of memorable melodies make the listening experience more exhausting than rewarding. There is considerable experimentation here, but relatively little that encourages me to return to the music. An intriguing exercise in extreme digital production, but not a particularly satisfying album.
58/100
Playing time: 00:39:31
❤️ Favourite track: "ERASE YOUR SOCIAL"
+ Occasionally imaginative synthetic textures and unusual electronic production techniques
+ Some effective rhythmic ideas, particularly on "ERASE YOUR SOCIAL" and "THE 9TH CIRCLE"
+ Distinctive artistic personality and a willingness to explore unconventional sounds
– Relentlessly distorted and compressed production that becomes exhausting and unpleasant over the album's duration
– Repetitive songwriting, with very few memorable melodies or substantial musical developments
– Excessively processed vocals, limited dynamic variety and numerous compositions that feel more like unfinished production experiments than complete songs
Genre: Digicore
Country: US
Final Verdict: 58% (Forgettable Album)
Yearly Ranking: 723th / 796
Highlight: ERASE YOUR SOCIAL
Made me think of:
Jane Remover
JPEGMAFIA
Bladee
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