Minnesota-based Indie producer/instrumentalist Stoop’s new project  The Grand Balcony, is inspired by French novelist/writer  Jean Genet’s play Le Balcon.  The 10-track body of work takes inspiration from the aforementioned play using hip-hop instrumentals threaded by a cohesive story exploring the unpredictable mechanics of human interaction ranging from competition, conflict, cooperation and the grey areas.

“Grand Balcony Intro” starts with a vocal excerpt from the play itself and it leads into “Hall of Mirrors”. The track is a warm and brooding piano-driven piece layered with thick boom-bap drums and dusty basslines. The following track “Virtues and Vices” uses filtered vocal samples with urgent-sounding keys, offbeat drum grooves and prevalent bass lines. The track is reminiscent of early DipSet instrumentals that blend old-school rock samples with New York drum grooves and ends with an insightful excerpt from Le Balcon focusing on human denial of the brutal facts. Next is the cinematic “The Peace That Precedes Battle” which gives off a soul-gripping feel of tension before dawn. The samples are rich and the use of subtle vocal chops to add depth to the beat is solid. On the previously released single “A Nation Weeps”, Stoop uses a recurring vocal/synth sample to create a tense ambient that draws audiences in and further cement his off-kilter approach to beat-making.

“Paper Roses” has to be the brightest beat thus far with its layered pitched-up vocal samples, rousing rock drums and rich bass arrangement. In a nutshell, the beat has a nostalgic and comforting vibe compared to the previous tracks. The aptly titled “Funeral Studio” is exactly what it sounds like. The dark and ominous textures take precedence and the downtempo bass-driven drums add an extra oomph to it. This is followed by “Gilded Corpses”, which serves as an aftermath of the previous track. Here, Stoop uses an emotive sample comprised of soft vocal hums, and solemn strings over punchy drums to create a setting filled with reflection.

The project closes out with the scenic/solemn  “The Bishop, the General, the Judge” and the moody “Good Night, Madam”. The former blends rock guitar licks, melodic vocals and thumping drums while the latter uses soft vocal chops and dynamic sound design techniques to great effect.

Overall The Grand Balcony, provides audiences with a mixed bag of emotions with his layered sampling and hard-hitting drums. The beats here are definitely ready to go for any rapper to jump on.