From the moment he burst onto the Russian hip-hop scene with his first mixtape in 2014, it was easy to tell what set Gleb Gennadyevich Golubin apart. The man better known as PHARAOH was an uncompromising presence right out of the gate, conjuring an unremittingly dark sonic world characterised by ominous trap beats and a claustrophobic atmosphere. Lyrically, he references necromancy on early single “ИДОЛ” (“IDOL”) to set the tone for what was to come—moody, confrontational rap. But it comes with a taste for rousing choruses and poppy introspection, too, as on the likes of “Caramel”.