* En anglais uniquement
Quakers are an underground hip-hop collective helmed by producers Fuzzface (
Geoff Barrow of
Portishead), 7STU7, and Supa K (formerly known as
Katalyst), along with dozens of guest rappers from around the world. Matching gritty, nearly psychedelic beats with verses from a wide array of emcees, the project made its debut with an acclaimed self-titled full-length in 2012. After a lengthy absence,
Quakers returned in 2020 with their second album.
Barrow founded
Quakers with
Stuart Matthew (7STU7) and
Ashley Anderson (Supa K), two producers associated with his Invada Records label, which has branches in both Australia and the U.K. With the help of Stones Throw's
Peanut Butter Wolf, the trio assembled 35 members to contribute to
Quakers' 41-track debut, including an assortment of talented underground rappers, golden-age hip-hop veterans, and a wealth of fellow Stones Throw artists. Following a teaser for "Fitta Happier," a quirky single that infused lyrics by
MED and
Guilty Simpson with a marching band performance of
Radiohead's "Optimistic" and "The National Anthem,"
Quakers was released in spring of 2012. The project re-emerged eight years later, first with a 50-track instrumental beat tape titled
Supa K: Heavy Tremors. Then in November of 2020, the more politically informed
II: The Next Wave arrived, featuring appearances by
the Koreatown Oddity,
Sampa the Great,
Jeremiah Jae, and several Detroit rappers, including
Boog Brown and
Denmark Vessey. ~ Jason Lymangrover & Paul Simpson