San Diego

Preacher vs Choir's Dark Arts

San Diego rapper Chris Mosher, aka Preacher vs Choir, delivers black magic on his latest track "Servitude"

"Every song is a ritual or incantation to some extent,” says San Diego rapper Chris Mosher, aka Preacher vs Choir. 

And with a literal background in the dark arts, he speaks from experience: "I belonged to a regular meet-up group in Portland called PDXO. I met some amazing people and engaged in a few group rituals".   

He says he stepped away from the day-to-day routine of “chaos magick” years ago -- but every now and then, he'll dust off some of the techniques from his old practice.

"So say I want to make some really classic hip-hop, which is arguably not at all my strong suit, but if I put myself in the mind of someone that has that background, let alone believe I myself am one of those people, it makes the creative process a little more fluid." 

Although his artistic method is sometimes derived from supernatural means, his latest track, "Servitude", produced by DJ Tenshun, isn't much informed by it (aside from his aforementioned idea about incantation and ritual). Nonetheless, the song's dark undertones, shifting themes about privilege and disappointment are, "full of rage and hatred,” according to his Bandcamp profile.

But in spite of that disclaimer, which reads worse than it actually sounds, he doesn't come off unhinged. He may be fed up and angry, totally at odds with the modern system, but he's not crazy. He's rational, venting his disgust to keep from losing himself.   

It’s coarse material, dirty and heavy, and that might turn fans of sleek production and pop sheen away. But for an adventurous listener -- searching for something a bit different -- Mosher comes across as a kind of death-metal frontman smoldering over rap beats who sounds best when pissed off, mad, and world weary. 

J. Smith, aka 1019, is a San Diego native, rap fan and one half of the rap duo Parker & the Numberman. You can follow him on Instagram at 1019_the_numberman or on Twitter

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