South Africa’s Jon Casey is back on Dome of Doom with Harsh Reality, his second album.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Casey at his home studio in Pretoria, the record bursts with the magnetic weight of his past works in trap but it also explores new regions. It leans heavily on original drum and field recordings, and also Casey’s own sample-pack releases.

We’re told that “metallic and muscular tones permeate throughout with an unapologetic force,” and that the “energy and heightened atmosphere of his live performances find their way into the sheen the record.” With its percussive drive, lead single “B.T.T,” which you can stream in full below, demonstrates this perfectly; once the bass is submerged and the lead vocal chop rings out, all chaos is let loose. The album features Deathly Chill and Rouge.

Casey joined Dome of Doom with the release of Flora & Fauna, his debut album, in November 2019, and he’s preceded his return to the label with various singles, collaborations, and remixes. He also created the album artwork, producing a piece that he feels reflects the music’s “dark and intense” reality.

“I went to this artist on Twitter called ‘Dikotome‘ and went through his art and I was inspired,” Casey tells XLR8R. “I then just went onto procreate and created something in one sitting that I felt I resonated with. It was almost like one take. I just ran with that idea and that’s how the final artwork came to fruition. The artwork is somewhat fathomable but also mind-bending which I think resonates with the album. I also wanted it to have a certain grunge to it that made it darker.”

Last month, Dome of Doom’s Wylie Cable curated a special edition of XLR8R+, delivering exclusive and previously unheard tracks from CLYDE, Gnome Beats, and QRTR, plus one from himself. You can check out the package here.

Tracklisting

01. Reality Check (Intro)
02. Kiss
03. B.T.T.
04. Schizzo (feat. Lucchii)
05. Nosedive
06. Turquoise (feat. Deathly Chill)
07. Spank (Interlude)
08. Greatest(feat. Rouge)
09. Drip
10. Chromium
11. Poison
12. Pounds (feat. AVANCE)
13. Nja Yam (Outro)

Harsh Reality LP is scheduled for July 30 release. Meanwhile, you can stream “B.T.T.” in full below, and pre-order the album here.