If the brilliant yet neurotic 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was alive today and boasted a strong affinity for bass-rattling rap music, what would the end result sound like? Probably too contorted and maddening for our human minds to comprehend, but if there were an earthly representation of this hypothetical it would have to be Amuck. Within a self-established format of lyrically unharnessed and sonically chaotic hip-hop, the Pittsburgh native broaches intellectually dense subjects like existentialism and religious fundamentalism, all-the-while remaining appropriate background music for a college house party.
Amuck first started turning heads in 2010 with the release of his first full-length album Improbabilities; his wildly technical, polysyllabic delivery and raw knack for melody and song structure quickly set him apart from his peers. The album offers serious critiques on consequential subjects, then just as suddenly reverses course, sometimes in the same word-laden breath, to a funny, more flippant side – in either case, big questions get raised, from “is there a God and what makes you so sure?” to “why is your girlfriend such an absolute bitch?” Each investigation abandons every pretense of everyday societal politeness.
Six years later, and Amuck has continued his ascension into the wider indie hip-hop fraternity with the releases of the "Asymmetry" and "Detonate" EP's, as well as a full-length release with his group "Plutocrat Noose". These tracks mark noteworthy collaborations with critically-acclaimed cult artists Sims (Doomtree), Onry Ozzborn (Rhymesayers/GrayskulDarktime Sunshine) and Pearl Dragon (Champagne Champagne). The singles “The Unfettered Ones” , "Binge" and "Swedish Fish" have also appeared in regular rotation on 105.9 FM's "Edge of the X" Series in addition to numerous college and internet radio stations worldwide.
Not only has Amuck's work garnered a sizable internet following to the tune of hundreds of thousands of online song plays, the Steel City native has also received positive reviews from the Pittsburgh City Paper, Sorgatron Media and the DJ MJ Blog among others. Classic Material of the acclaimed hip-hop hub RepPghHipHop.com said of the release, “This is not cookie cutter rap. This is very much outside-the-box hip-hop, and for fans of this type of rap, this is definitely one of the finer projects to be released.”
Amuck has had both the credibility and honor of sharing the stage with some of music's biggest names - from heavy hitting mainstream acts like Awolnation, Wiz Khalifa, T Mills and Mac Miller, to raw, underground legends like Jedi Mind Tricks, Blueprint, Hed PE, Mushroomhead and Ratking. On 11/20/2017 he delivered an explosive one-hour-long live performance on the 88.3FM show "Advanced Calucus", alongside his bandmate and producer Kiltervision.
2017 marked Amuck's first West-Coast tour, an hour-long live performance on 88.FM's "Advanced Calculus", and the release of his 4th studio release "For My Own Amusement". What does 2018 bring? We aren't going to tell you right here and now, that would be pretty stupid of us. But we will say that it's "Pretty, pretty good".
