One of Perth's proudest and most prominent hip-hop artists, Shadow has released his most versatile project in the Blackout EP, available to stream https://ditto.fm/shadow-blackout. Written during two years of Australia's harshest lockdowns and border restrictions, Blackout is a lively display of Shadow's growth as both an artist and a human, also marking his first fully independent release in years. "Life’s been crazy as of late. I was stabbed three times in my chest and rib cage, I had best friends going on 'holiday' for a long time," he says. "On Blackout, I wanted to say that no matter what knocks you down, you just have to get up and keep going, because you might be a day away from success." The project's more refined and focused vision is evident from the jump, with opening track 'Intro' also cementing Shadow as a master of flows and hard-hitting bars. "In this new age they use blades, not a fist/And I’d rather buy a house than put a Rollie on my wrist," he raps over the thumping, meditative beat. From the offset, Shadow distances himself from the current hip-hop landscape, while maintaining his grounded perspective on life; "Ain’t a damn thing changed/Same job, same wage/Same hustle, same stage/Same love, same pain/Same storm, same rain." That same attitude is evident on 'Mum's Corolla', showing that despite his successes, he still maintains the striking relatability that's earned him die-hard fans across Australia; "Still do trips in Mum's Corolla/Vac sealed don’t smell that odour." 'Mum's Corolla' is also a flagrant example of the diverse sounds on display through Blackout, using UKG-inspired production to create a summer dancefloor anthem. Elsewhere, Shadow shows his sonic progression by experimenting heavily with melody on tracks like the wavy 'Crusty Demons'. Shadow credits producer JCAL with "helping me find my melodic sound, and giving me some confidence to push my boundaries." Other tracks like 'Blackout' display Shadow's newfound preference for singing on hooks, combined with the trademark rapid-fire flows that have won him respect from rappers in every circle. By adding more melodic and elongated flows to his repertoire, Shadow believes that he's now "in the top five emcees, if not the hardest in this country... Being independent now with no label, I didn’t have any limitations to what I could do." Teetering between confident bravado and self-reflection, Blackout is a snapshot of a young artist on the rise. Diving headfirst into trap, drill and more traditional schools of hip-hop, it's an ambitious project which combines contemporary sounds with meticulous, tight songwriting. Shadow will be taking Blackout on the road, kicking off with a hometown show in Perth on October 21, before travelling down the East Coast throughout November.