Lucy Bedroque has never sounded particularly interested in staying still. Across previous records such as SISTERHOOD, Fête de la Vanille and 2025’s Unmusique, the Los Angeles rapper and producer has continually warped the boundaries between digicore, rage, experimental hip-hop and the stranger corners of internet music. On c, released via deadAir on 18 September, that restless approach becomes a fully realised 39-minute barrage of distorted 808s, warped synths, shrieking vocals and strangely beautiful melodic fragments.
‘ALL SPEAKERS GO TO HEAVEN’ instantly establishes c with glitches, heavy bass, and Bedroque’s abrasive rasp, balancing chaos with precision. The album shifts between digicore on ‘THE 9TH CIRCLE’, melodic soundscapes on ‘SPEED DEMON’, and a hostile rework of Aphex Twin’s ‘STONE IN FOCUS’.
Throughout c, rage elements like massive bass and fast hi-hats blend with industrial noise, hyperpop distortion, and atmospheric passages. Bedroque’s vocals alternate between Auto-Tune, pitch-shifting, and screams, balancing experimental texture with structured songwriting. Tracks like ‘MISS BEHAVIOR’ and ‘B.Y.O.B.’ sustain momentum, while ‘MARRIED TO MY JEWELER’ serves as a light interlude before ‘C SECTION’, ‘CO POISON’, ‘SAFESPACE’, and ‘ZYGOTE’ deliver distinct, high-energy impact. Meanwhile, ‘ERASE YOUR SOCIAL’ offers a more vulnerable, melodic breather without losing its distorted edge, making the surrounding aggression more potent.
The finale, ‘PEACE IN PANDEMONIUM’, begins with cleaner production before escalating into a final burst of distortion, providing a measured resolution to the album’s intensity. While c’s relentless energy leaves little space for the quieter textures of Lucy Bedroque’s earlier work while pushing further into maximalist rage than Unmusique. This singular focus drives its impact. By fusing digicore, hyperpop, industrial, and experimental rap, Bedroque mutates familiar genre tropes into a dense, cohesive soundscape. Aggressive yet melodic, abrasive yet meticulously constructed, c demands full volume to appreciate its rich texture, atmosphere, and momentum.
Listen to c:
