Vancouver hip hop group Swollen Members has about 20 songs completed for its new album, "Black Magic," tentatively scheduled for a March 2006 release. Guests so far include rappers Ghostface Killah (Wu-Tang), Evidence (Dilated Peoples), Planet Asia and Alchemist, as well as guitarists Dave Genn (54.40/ex Matthew Good Band), Russ Klyne (k-os) and Tom Thacker (singer for gob).

With the departure of soulful singer Moka Only, who will release his solo album, "The Desired Effect," tomorrow (Aug. 16) on Battle Axe/Nettwerk/EMI Music Canada, the rest of Swollen Members -- rappers Prevail and Mad Child, and DJ/producer Rob The Viking -- will have less of a pop flavour on the new tracks.

"You're going to hear us going back to the dark, abstract s**t that we believe in, the stuff that we do from our hearts and our souls, our real creative outlet," says Prevail. "I mean, we have to have a single or two, but the other songs are all absolutely dark."

Moka, a one-time guest turned official Swollen Member, whose melodic vocals on singles "Fuel Injected" and "Bring It Home" gave this underground hip hop phenom greater commercial appeal, left the group last year to pursue a solo career.

Prevail doesn't feel that Moka's absence contributed to Swollen's heavier direction on this new album. "I wouldn't say that it's necessarily his absence more than it's our reconnection to our roots are and where our past is and what really drives us lyrically. I think the dispansion (sic) of the group as it was is better for everybody. It's working out better for everyone."

Swollen Members became Canada's most successful selling hip hop group after releasing its debut full-length, "Balance," in 1999, which scanned 41,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan Canada, and earned the group its first of several Juno Awards. The follow-up, 2001's "Bad Dreams," sold 100,000 units and 2002's mainly b-sides collection "Monsters In The Closet" (which included the new "Breath" feat. Nelly Furtado) about 70,000 units.

With the momentum building and feeling it was time to break into the U.S., Mad Child, who also owns Battle Axe Records, signed a label deal with Virgin for the world, excluding Canada. Swollen Members then relocated to Venice Beach, CA, to begin work on the new album.

Meanwhile, Battle Axe put out a Canada-only "album between albums" double-disc called "Heavy," which sold 25,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan Canada.

In the end, though, the Virgin deal didn't work out. "There were too many cooks in the kitchen, too many opinions," Prevail explains, but some of those tracks, produced by The Matrix (Liz Phair, Avril Lavigne), can be heard on Moka Only's "The Desired Effect."

Back in Vancouver, the guys took some time off to rethink.

"We purposely took a step back after the last album came out and everyone took a little bit of time away to get back into their own headspace, so when we came back it was that much stronger, more powerful," says Prevail. "That's where 'Black Magic' has taken direction. We felt that hunger again after taking that time off. It feels like the same passion we had when we were making 'Balance' and 'Bad Dreams.'"

The three have been working at Battle Axe's studio above the label's office, as well as at Bryan Adams' state-of-the-art Warehouse Studio, where the live instruments have been laid down. The first song Swollen Members recorded for "Black Magic" is the title track. The group now has about 32 songs, 20 of which are completed. Swollen will continue to work out of both studios.

Titles include the self-explanatory "Prisoners Of Doom" and "Massacre," as well as "Weight," the song featuring Ghostface Killah. "It's a disgusting rap song with one of the most skilled vocalists in the history of our music," says Prevail. "He wrote his own rhyme and then sent the session back."

Three new songs -- "Black Magic," "Too Hot," and "Swamp Water" (feat. Planet Asia and Phil Da Agony) -- are currently available exclusively on iTunes, and a 12-inch will be released in Sept. All of them will be on the final album, says Prevail.
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