Realname and Stoneset are a Melbourne-based MC and producer duo to keep a serious eye on. The two are members of underground hip-hop label X Amount Records through which they’ve been steadily dropping music videos over the past month, as part of their 'Video Single Series'. Stylistically each track differs in distinct and fundamental ways - with beats borrowing from all different corners of hip-hop's history and lyrical delivery shifting from muted sincerity to wild nasal destruction. That being said, the wonky elements of Stoneset’s beat-making and the sardonic introspection and cryptic wordplay of Realname’s bars remain a clear binding factor for the whole experience.

Over the three course meal of videos released, we are presented with a clear representation of Realname’s character and the wide array of the art these two are capable of creating. Falling somewhere between an EP and a visual album, the journey we’re taken on is hazy and lo-fi, and tied together by Realname’s relatable delivery.

The project kicked off with ‘Pretend It Is’, a jumpy track led by Mac DeMarco styled guitar loops giving it an off-kilter and almost post-punk sound, with plenty of distorted glitches littered throughout, modernising and abstracting the whole piece. The track immediately demonstrates Realname’s teetering balance between humour and hopelessness, opening with his distinctly strange and joyous wails before lunging into a verse of serious lyrical intention - “I'm happy for you, the past is comfortable but I don’t envy bubbles”. Considering his lyrics tackle falling out of love and an inability to escape the past, Realname's delivery and sense of humour gives the track a very approachable and optimistic energy, even if it is a little nihilistic. Quick;y establishing his character as your goofy friend with a deceptive amount of depth once you really get to talking, Realname evokes a dichotomy comparable to other troubled hip-hop experimentalists like Danny Brown or Slug Christ.

All of the videos released differ in concept but share an artful homegrown intimacy. Anyone who's been in a relationship in Australia for long will recognise the emotions and locations held in the ‘Pretend It Is’ video - shot somewhere reminiscent of the Grampians, the Blue Mountains or that one special place you two camped all those years ago. We see ‘raw’ holiday footage clips mixed with skit like moments of despair, blending in together to give this idea of trying to hold on to happy memories as they’re slowly eroded by current problems. Or eroded by the “present day dystopia” as Realname puts it. Fittingly, the track unravels into a dizzying, drunken breakdown with his yelps of "devil, lover, devil, lover", distorting and disappearing alongside his fallen love.

Next is ‘Brick’, which hits just like one. A thick, wonky slab of electronica with influence from IDM, UK Bass, hardcore breaks and more. On ‘Pretend It Is’, we were primarily presented with the skill and personality of Realname over a spacious and creative but inoffensive beat, but on ‘Brick’, we have the opposite. A dizzying, maximal mix of booming insanity provided by Stoneset demonstrating the producer's remarkable range, and Realname's ability to ride this bucking bull of a beat reveals the same level of versatility.

Again filled with his self-deprecating and irreverent humour, the brutality of ‘Brick’s beat lends itself to a more unhinged and abrasive Realname. Speeding through the track as his faded face zooms along train lines in the accompanying green-screened video, we can feel his disappointment in himself and a playful resentment towards those more active and ‘successful’ - seemingly being lost and left behind as the world and the trains continue to fly by.

Finally, we have ‘See, Hear and Speak Evil’, where the duo are joined by abstract rapper Teether. Rounding out the run of singles, this beat feels like a logical continuation of the two preceding tracks. Embracing both a down-tempo energy and unpredictable offbeat distortions, the track expands around a laidback rhythm and traditional soul sample, with a shoegaze-styled haze creating a surreal and psychedelic tinge.

Similarly, the video builds upon the last two. Primarily composed of relatable home recordings like those on ‘Pretend It Is’, then corrupted and glitched out as if through a poor internet connection using similarly chaotic editing as on ‘Brick’. The Australian relatability this time comes in a more metropolitan package - with hard rubbish and pallets acting as a stage, the iconic graffiti work of Melbourne’s banana bandit while the recurring motif and servo snacks and ciggies complete the mise en scene.

Realname once again delivers self-deprecating verses toeing the line between jokes and cries for help. As the name suggests, we’re dipped heavily into the devilish thoughts first hinted at on ‘Pretend It Is’. His confident delivery regarding his lack of confidence is an intriguing perspective that flips hip-hop’s traditional braggadocio style on its head, as he alludes to a dissatisfaction with life and a lack of motivation to make more of it. Teether delivers a groggy, dejected verse pairing perfectly with Realname's pride filled failings, which culminates with a hook of "with a little help I could litter hell", sounding like an anarchist's take on ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’. It's a refrain that perfectly wraps up this hellishly impressive collaborative series.

All in all, we have an intriguing and exciting presentation of talent on display over this series of videos - not only musically, but it’s clear the duo and their accompanying label have a passionate DIY work ethic and creative artistic ambition. These two don’t sit still for long so expect more tracks, art and shows from them very soon.