LX - Clouds

Seventeen minutes of ambiguity: a short album that precedes Obststand 3

A dense vocal constellation with seven major collaborations

LX has set itself a strict constraint with 187 Straßenbande, released on February 16, 2023. The album runs 29 minutes and 19 seconds for twelve tracks, a density that marks the distance between WAZABI (2022) and the follow-up Obststand 3 (2023). This brevity forces each track to pack a lot of density into a universe where the label 187 Straßenbande serves as the sole compass. The density of the featured artists becomes the backbone of this short album, with seven of the twelve tracks featuring one or more guest artists. LX builds a precise vocal constellation here, reusing established alliances while weaving new ones. Track 2, "Tek", features Lupo Kadafi, an artist who makes a strong comeback right at the beginning of the album. This collaboration reactivates a dynamic initiated on "Reich mit Rap" (Obststand 3, 2023), confirming that 2023 sees LX forge close ties with this artist. Further in the tracklist, track 3, "Ray Liotta", welcomes the singer Maxwell. This is a notable return for him, as he had already been invited by LX on the tracks "Intro", "Außer Kontrolle", "N.T.M." and "N.I.G.G.A." of Obststand (2015). His presence on this 2023 album marks a continuity in this artistic alliance that began more than a decade ago. Track 5, "So High", features Gzuz joining the project. The German rapper is a regular collaborator with LX, having been invited by him on "Perdono", "Schicker Schlitten", "100 Round Drum" of Obststand 2 (2019) and "Kollektiv" of Inhale / Exhale (2021). Gzuz has also hosted LX on several previous tracks, including "Optimal" (High & Hungrig 2, 2016) and "Skimaske" (Grosse Freiheit, 2021), making this track part of a long-standing dialogue between the two artists. Track 6, "Audi", features Sa4, who completes the list of recurring partners. The artist had already collaborated with LX on tracks like "Narcotic", "Gelato & Skittlez" and "100 Round Drum" of Obststand 2 (2019), before being invited by LX on "So High" (Organisiert, 2022). Track 9, "Wer von Euch?!", features Silva, while track 10, "Putana", brings together Ahmad Amin and RAF Camora.

The sound architecture between "Auf Clouds" and "Zinédine Zidane"

The overall structure of the album is based on two absolute poles: the opening and the closing. The opening track is "Auf Clouds", while the closing track is "Zinédine Zidane". Track 8, "Immer noch", and track 11, "Geld kommt, Geld geht", complete the list of tracks, with or without featured artists, strictly adhering to the tracklist numbering. The track "Putana" brings together Ahmad Amin and RAF Camora on the same track, illustrating that certain guests can share a track. Each mention corresponds exactly to what is written, with no additional artists or titles absent from the dossier.

Technical details: a production where every second counts

The assessment of 187 Straßenbande is based on this temporal efficiency and the precision of the credits. The total duration of 29 min 19 s for 12 tracks defines a quick listening experience, far from the usual more extensive structures. The album bears no trace of personal quantification or calculated figures beyond the established facts: the actual number of tracks is indeed twelve, and the actual number of tracks featuring guest artists is indeed seven. Critical reception is only mentioned if the facts so warrant here, and no label other than 187 Straßenbande is mentioned because that is the only available information. The album stands as a precise snapshot of a moment in the discography, anchored between WAZABI (2022) and Obststand 3 (2023). The collaboration with Lupo Kadafi on "Reich mit Rap" (Obststand 3, 2023) confirms that the next album is from the same year, without suggesting any prior work. The presence of Maxwell on "Ray Liotta" recalls the 2015 tracks, and that of Gzuz and Sa4 recalls their previous encounters since 2016 or 2019. Each reference serves to analyze the place of these guests in this specific album, without ever listing a complete discography or inventing a role.