Bad Dogs (WC)

Though they may not have intended to do so, Naptown’s trinity, also known as 81355 (pronounced BLESS), rang out as revolutionaries with their 2021 debut record This Time I’ll be of Use. When Oreo Jones, Sirius Blvck, and Sedcairn come together, genre evaporates into enthralling poeticism and sonic hypnosis. Their sophomore LP Bad Dogs acts as an expansive continuation of 81355’s signature sound: an angelic, gritty, enthralling urban hymnal for the disillusioned mind. Oscillating between mesmeric live instrumentation and limitless lyrical exposure, Bad Dogs is an anthem of endurance which echoes long after the record ends.   The floorboards of 81355 stretch far back into the history of Naptown’s creative scene. Jones (Sean Michael Smith) and Blvck (Niq Askren) struck a match as one of Indy’s most influential hip-hop collectives, Ghost Gun Summer, before they brought on Sedcairn (Moose Adamson) in 2020. Before Adamson infused 81355 with his melodic soundscapes, he produced Grampall Jookabox, an underground indie meets jangle pop project also released by Joyful Noise. Though they may be known primarily for their musical notoriety, the members of 81355 are steadfast in their commitment to community uplift and collective creative expansion. Sean, alongside his partner Jane Sun Kim, produces and curates Chreece, the largest Midwestern Hip-Hop festival hosted in the heart of Naptown. Niq is pivotal in the empowerment and advancement of Indy Hunger Network, a local non profit that addresses food insecurity across Indianapolis. Moose is a key contributor to Joyful Noise, an Indy based independent label cutting records for local artists of all genres.   As the texturally emotive punctum of its cover art (painted by Stockholm based artist Julia de Ruvo) conveys, the heart of Bad Dogs draws its perseverance from the wild reservation dogs pulsing through the rust hued indigenous lands of New Mexico and beyond. Untethered in their roaming, sacred in their fierce communal belonging yet undefined by physical place. A vital essence mirrored by that of 81355: boundaryless, primal creative cultivation that defies what some may attempt to categorize as hip hop or progressive rap.   Bad Dogs cracks deeper into this essence by initiating a more collaborative approach to 81355’s recording process and the LP’s overall production. For the first time, the project’s live band is part of the production, with Sharlene Birdsong on bass guitar, Dimitri Morris on guitar, and Pat Okerson on drums. The Bad Dogs listening experience also seeps into visual realms: a short film titled Sleep Study (a nod to Indianapolis’ “Naptown” moniker) will be released in tandem, soundtracked by the record and produced, starring, and written by 81355 alongside friends and fellow artists from the Naptown community. Sleep Study’s afrofuturistic sci-fi undertones explore the toxifying implications of the algorithm phenomenon, postmodern brain rot, and late stage capitalism. Though timeless, nomadic, and unrestrained in their exploration, 81355 remains rooted in honoring their Indianapolis community and uplifting the raw Midwestern storytelling authentic to their sound.