Anticon co-founder Tim Holland, a.k.a. Sole, is set to release his third album with the The Skyrider Band, Hello, Cruel World, on July 19. It’s Holland’s first full-length since parting ways with Anticon and striking out on his own. He’s far from unaccompanied on the new record, though; guests include Xiu Xiu, Lil B, Pictureplane, Sage Francis, Ceschi, Isaiah Toothtaker, and more.
In the video for the title track, “Hello Cruel World,” Sole waxes melancholic, coming to terms with temporality and decay, with a posse of grazing cows at his back. Its a simple, mostly monochromatic journey past snow-capped mountains and waterfalls. The Skyrider Band’s dramatic synth-driven instrumentation and strings over the singsong chorus give Sole’s vocals room to breathe while maintaining a rich ambience throughout.