7/10

Every so often an artist comes along who drops an entire universe on us. And with 'Cloned & Upgraded, Insert Soul Here (Rebirth Edition)', Rellyo Bambini pushes boundaries, rewires them, and uploads something entirely new in their place. This is a cyberpunk fever dream stitched together with ferocity, wit, and startling emotional clarity.

From the opening seconds of 'Big Bad Love', Bambini drags you into a world of chrome-bright distortion and digital ghosts, a place where identity feels fluid and the heart still beats under all the circuitry. It’s a dazzling blend of ominous electronica, tripped-out hip-hop, and mutant rock textures, delivering a soundscape that feels like the soundtrack to a film you haven’t seen yet but already feel inside your bones.

Tracks like 'Bossy Pants' come out swinging, charged with a don’t-look-away intensity that radiates ambition. It’s the kind of track that makes you stand up straighter without even realising it. Then there’s 'Crypto Kids', which uses sharp humour and razor-edged observations to skewer digital-age swagger, offering a generational commentary wrapped in a hook you’ll be humming for days.

But just when you think you’ve decoded the album’s DNA, 'Whirlwind Chatter' arrives as something chaotic, gleefully experimental, and utterly unpredictable. It’s a reminder that Bambini thrives on refusing expectations.

But what ties the record together is its heart. Beneath the chrome and circuitry lies longing, resilience, humour, and the constant search for self in a world obsessed with the artificial. The artist confronts the uncanny tension between simulation and sincerity, delivering an album that manages to feel both alien and intimate.

'Cloned & Upgraded, Insert Soul Here' sounds like it’s broadcasting from a timeline where genres have melted into light. Rellyo Bambini has crafted a bold, complete vision that demands repeat listens.