Miami’s Alex Leon, the man behind the L3o, is clearly done with playing by the rules of the local scene. Since 2015, he has been quietly building a catalog that ignores radio trends in favor of something much more experimental. His latest full-length effort, Lyricon The Hymn Reaper, finally brings his Glitch God Universe into the spotlight, and it’s a far cry from the neon-soaked sounds you’d expect from a Florida native.
Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the album functions more like a soundtrack to a film that hasn’t been released yet. L3o, who also heads up Trinity Records, has total control over his masters and his vision, and it shows. The production throughout the record is dense, favoring dark, cavernous atmospheres and industrial textures over simple loops. On a track like “Neil Armstrong,” the beat is physically heavy, mirroring the lyrics about isolation and the pressure of a specific “mission” in outer space.
Technically, L3o handles his delivery like a specialist in digital-age paranoia. On “Salena,” the vibe is anything but grounded. It is built around a hypnotic, repetitive energy where he navigates Siri prompts and location tags. He uses a sharp, staccato flow to bounce between references to Biden and Tyson, sounding like a man trying to maintain his privacy in a world that’s constantly trying to track him. It is an unorthodox style that fits perfectly within the “villain scientist” persona he’s cultivated for this project.
The non-musical elements woven into the tracklist is what really breaks the mold. Instead of typical hip-hop skits, L3o uses found-audio and field recordings to ground the album’s high-concept themes. “Fishing for Bass” features over two minutes of audio from a literal fishing trip. Crickets, water, and all, providing a strange, organic break from the digitized chaos of the rest of the record. There’s also “Fox in a Hole,” which utilizes nature documentary narration to touch on survival and growth. These moments might seem random to a casual listener, but they are essential for the lore L3o is building.
This is a project designed for listeners who actually want to sit down and pay attention. It’s a deep dive into a self-contained world where music, manga, and myth collide. L3o has managed to create something that’s entirely his own. A gritty, cinematic experience that demands you follow the story from start to finish.
If you’re looking for something that breaks away from the mainstream machine, Lyricon The Hymn Reaper is worth your time. Grab your best pair of headphones and dive into the Glitch God Universe. The album is available now on all streaming platforms, go see what the noise is about for yourself.