PREMIERE: Absentee unveils 'Achilles' from new hip-hop project Absent Hives

Burgeoning hip-hop sensation Absentee is poised to drop his 6-track mixtape Absent Hives on Friday, November 12, but Hot Press have the first taste in the form of 'Achilles'.

Absent Hives delves deep into mental stability and carelessness for one’s wellbeing. This time around, Absentee has added a few names to the list of collaborators; D12 Inc co-creators Mickzart (Michael Ward) & CameronTYP (Cameron Steele); up and coming singer Qbanaa; Softboy Records act Gaptoof and Róg Poet Johnny Welfare on creative mixing duties.

'Achilles' demonstrates Absentee's desire to seek new love after taking some time to himself. The song explores the feeling of being ready to meet someone and let them in after a period of introspection.

"To me the story of Achilles fits here as a reminder that no matter how strong you think you are mentally or physically, there is always a weak spot, that could be a person, a place, or even a time or memory you hold close, everyone has one," Dublin 12's Absentee tells Hot Press.

"It is also a reminder that it's ok to know and talk about your 'Achilles heel', having that makes you human and nobody is perfect. As I've said before, toxic masculinity is a serious issue and admitting your vulnerable can be a huge problem for men, so I think it should be more talked about," the rapper adds.

"With this tune being produced by Gaptoof, I felt | had to bring some of my best yet and I feel I have, we got in touch through his Instagram streams over lockdown and he crafted a beat in within days and it was perfect. Hopefully I'll get to work again with him in the future as he is a quality producer."

'Achilles' features heavy '90s beats, sparkling synths and dark ambient backing instrumentation underlaying Absentee's laidback but consistent bars.

"I wanna live, like it's c'est la vie/Making cash off that doh reh me," the hook exclaims. "Fine lady follow me."

"That line represents the chase or the want to be a working musician/artist. That's the dream we all strive for and it's one of my favourite rhyming couplets I have written over the years."

By way of raw honest lyrics, staying true to himself and implementing fresh unique sounds, the hip-hop artist's new and more refined music further immerses him into the ever blooming Irish music scene.

Impressive 2021 singles 'Heart Strings' and 'Greener Views' followed on from Absentee's noteworthy 2020 debut full length project Love Letters of an Absent Mind and single releases 'Blue Skies', 'No One Above' and 'Love Letterz'.

Listen to the magnetic 'Achilles' below: