Nine years after the release of their critically acclaimed ANX, Dark Time Sunshine is back with their third full-length, Lore. Comprising Seattle emcee Onry Ozzborn (Grayskul, Oldominion) and Chicago producer Zavala, DTS have been on the cutting edge of indie hip hop since 2009, behind genre-bending production and a heady lyrical approach all their own. Lore builds on the psych-rap foundation of their previous efforts while shifting into new terrain that incorporates the aesthetics each artist has explored in recent years, and the end product is an album brimming with hope. Since ANX, we've seen Onry drop several solo projects (Tantrum, Nervous Hand, etc.) as well as a Grayskul album alongside longtime comrade JFK. In 2017, Zavala dropped Fantasmas, an electronic departure that led to NPR calling him "a messenger of sonic relief." The two spoke often of making another Dark Time Sunshine record, but the pieces didn't fall into place until 2020, when a particular batch of beats Zavala sent Onry's way resonated with a new, hard-won headspace that the emcee found himself in. Onry wrote all of Lore between May and August 2020. Having already endured a difficult few years battling personal demons and health struggles within the family, Onry was probably more prepared than most for the chaos of 2020. His resilience shines through on Lore. “What a wonderful display of determination to make it out of hell,” he raps on “Hell Nah” over a lush, spacey Zavala backdrop. You can practically hear the weight lifting from his shoulders on many tracks, and especially on “Ayemen”, the album’s emotional core. The song is pure triumph over adversity, with an infectious hook buoyed by a crystalline Zavala collage. “Broken before / But never again” becomes a mantra. Continuing the trilogy of Ceschi collabs that begins each of Dark Time Sunshine’s full-lengths, the rapper/singer makes a frantic cameo on “Lore”, setting the stage for an 11-track odyssey that also features guest shots from R.A.P. Ferreira, Homeboy Sandman, and Hail Mary Mallon. Ferreira and Sandman appear on "Rite Kids", a sequel of sorts to "The Wrong Kids" from DTS's debut EP Believeyoume. The trio ruminates on nature vs. nurture and stresses the importance of both strong parental guidance and allowing kids the space to thrive on their own intuition.

While dwelling in various parts of upstate New York, Upgrade has been constantly developing as an emcee over the past decade. Some career highlights include sharing stages with Mac Miller, Styles P, Chris Webby, Saigon and Big Sean. Through a chance encounter he also received a big supporter in the personage of Josh Eppard (of Coheed & Cambria / Weerd Science)