Fluent Form

Ryan Stewart, better known by the stage name Fluent Form or, more recently, Flu, is an Australian rapper and hip hop musician.

Flu
Background information
Birth nameRyan Stewart
Also known asFluent Form
BornSouth eastern suburbs, Melbourne, Australia
GenresHip hop
Years active2006–present
LabelsCrate Cartel

Career

Solo career

Although Stewart participated in rap battles in his early days, using the experience to gain exposure and get his name out, he has said that he was never really part of the "battle scene" and his dedication is to recording songs.[1]

His independent debut production, Chapters of Substance, was released in 2008 under the name Fluent Form.[2][3] This was quickly followed the next year by The Furnace, released under the newly formed Crate Cartel label and distributed through Obese Records.[3][4] Described by an interviewer as "a dark manifesto, serving as an outlet for rage and dissatisfaction", he said that The Furnace reflects his "burning desires, rage, ... life, lessons, greed, envy, growth, anger, obstacles, reward, death, life... everything."[5] He was praised for his "complex rhyming structure, deep concepts, and overall flow" and as having "the composure of a veteran long in the game."[6] In an interview, he said that telling personal stories through the tracks on the album was "very important".[1]

His third album, Word Merchant, released in 2011, was produced by Crate Cartel co-founder Geko and featured guest verses from various artists including Dialectrix and numerous veterans in the local hip hop scene.[7][8] Throughout 2012, he released the tracks "FLU32" and "Ricochet Rabbit" via Bandcamp[9][10][11] and appeared on the Obese Records Obesecity 2 compilation with the track "The Code" featuring Has-Lo.[12]

His fourth solo album, Flu Season, was released in 2013 and debuted at number 39 on the Aria Hip Hop Charts.[13] It again featured a host of guest artists including American rappers One Be Lo and Has-Lo.[14][15] This marked his first release to be issued in vinyl and on cassette tape in addition to CD.[14][16] He stated that he hope the style of Flu Season "gives the listener an opportunity to digest everything I’m saying."[14] It won awards in the 2013 at the Oz Hip Hop Awards for best album and best wax release, as well as best beat for the track "Arrows" featuring Geko, which was produced by Must Volkoff.[17] The Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine reviewed Flu Season, awarding it ​3 1⁄2 stars. A review on US website RapReviews.com complimented Flu's "ear popping lines" and production that "lifts him up high", rating the album 8 out of 10.[18]

In 2017, he released his fifth album Flu Dust, which was his first self-produced album as well as being his first album since officially moving on from the name Fluent Form to simply Flu, which was considered his secondary stage name for many years prior.

Fluent Form has toured Australia, supporting international artists including Ghostface Killah, Ill Bill, Chino XL, Masta Ace and DJ Premier.[19] He has also provided guest verses for local artists including Bias B, Ciecmate and Bigfoot.[19] He also produced the track "Half Full" by J.Mac, appearing on the compilation album Rawthentic The Roster.[20]

4 Aces

Having worked with fellow Melbourne-based rappers Mata, Must and 1/6 on the tracks "4 Aces" (released on The Furnace) and "Poison" (on Flu Season), they appeared on stage around Australia in 2013 as part of the Alliance Tour[21][22] and produced an EP titled Four Aces, a collaboration between the Crate Cartel and Pang Productions labels, released exclusively on vinyl to coincide with World Record Store Day on 19 April 2014. They also performed a live gig that night outside Wax Museum Records in the Campbell Arcade subway under Flinders Street railway station.[23]

Discography

Albums and EPs
TitleReleasedLabelFormat
Chapters of Substance2008IndependentCD
The Furnace2009Crate CartelCD
Word Merchant2011Crate CartelCD
Flu Season2013Crate CartelCD, vinyl, cassette
Four Aces (with Mata, Must and 1/6)2014Crate Cartel and Pang ProductionsVinyl
Flu Dust2017Crate CartelCD, vinyl, cassette

Individual tracks

Guest verses
TitleArtistsReleaseRelease date
"Street Journalists"Requiem featuring Fluent Form and MaundzGrassroots Anarchy2009[24]
"Comin' to Getcha"Dialectrix featuring Fluent Form, Maundz and RigbyAudio Projectile2010[25]
"March the 5th"Maundz featuring Fluent FormMr. Nobody2010[26]
"Officially Active"Myk Reid featuring Fluent Form, Sesh Budsa and GekoRise of the Foot Soldier2011[27]
"After One Listen"Ciecmate featuring Fluent FormChess Sounds Vol 12011[28]
"Nothin'"Geko and Aetcix featuring Fluent FormGoatmob2011[29]
"The Code"Fluent Form featuring Has-LoObesecity 22012[12][30]
"Locomotive"Maundz featuring Fluent Form and Fatty PhewTake It Back Mixtape2012[31]
"Out Of Sync (Xanax Rap)"Ghosts in the Room featuring Fluent FormGhosts in the Room2012[32]
"Mercy Killings"Jake Biz featuring Fluent Form, Ken Oath, Tornts and BigfootCommercial Hell2012[33]
"Haggis"Force featuring Sparts and Fluent FormForce2013[34]

Personal life

Flu was raised and continues to reside in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne.[1][35] He is a father of two children.

He also played for the Eastside Kings in the Robert Hunter Cup in 2013, an Australian rules football match honouring the memory of Perth MC Hunter.[36]

References
  1. "Fluent Form Interview". All Aussie Hip Hop. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. "Fluent Form – Chapters of Substance". Crate Cartel. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  3. "Fluent Form – The Furnace". Rhythm & Poetry. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  4. "Fluent Form – The Furnace". Crate Cartel. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  5. "Fluent Form". Certified Scribe. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 24 June 2010.
  6. "Fluent Form – The Furnace Review". All Aussie Hip Hop. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  7. "Fluent Form – Word Merchant". Crate Cartel. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  8. "Fluent Form – Word Merchant". All Aussie Hip Hop. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  9. "FLU32". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  10. "Ricochet Rabbit". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  11. "Fluent Form – Ricochet Rabbit". Pang Productions. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  12. "The Code". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  13. "ARIA Urban Albums Chart". 12 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013.
  14. "Flu aka Fluent Form – Flu Season". Crate Cartel. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  15. "Flu AKA Fluent Form: Flu Season out 02.08.2013". Obese Records. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  16. "Flu – LP". Wax Museum Records. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  17. "11th Annual Oz Hip Hop Awards 2013". Oz Hip Hop. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  18. Juon, Steve "Flash" (24 December 2013). "Fluent Form :: Flu Season". RapReviews.com. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  19. "Fluent Form - Synthetic Love". Amrap. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  20. "Rawthentic The Roster". All Aussie Hip Hop. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  21. "Matt Van Rooy Presents: The Alliance Tour". All Aussie Hip Hop. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  22. "The Alliance Tour ft. 4 Aces (1/6, Fluent Form, Mata & Must), Maundz, Dialect & Dispair, Social Change, Rawthentic Crew Tickets VIC". Moshtix. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  23. "4 Aces EP Launch World Record Store Day". All Aussie Hip Hop. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  24. "Requiem – Grassroots Anarchy". Discogs. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  25. "Dialectrix – Audio Projectile". All Aussie Hip Hop. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  26. "Mr. Nobody". iTunes. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  27. "Myk Reid – Rise Of The Foot Soldier EP". Churbo. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  28. "Ciecmate Presents – Chess Sounds Vol 1". Churbo. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  29. "Exclusive: Geko & Aetcix – GOATMOB 'Flatline' feat. Fatty Phew". All Aussie Hip Hop. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  30. "Obesecity 2". All Aussie Hip Hop. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  31. "Maundz – Take It Back Mixtape". All Aussie Hip Hop. 28 April 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  32. "Ghosts in the Room". All Aussie Hip Hop. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  33. "Jake Biz – Commercial Hell". All Aussie Hip Hop. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  34. "Force – Force [Produced by Zarkov]". All Aussie Hip Hop. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  35. "Fluent Form Interview". Rip It Up. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  36. "The teams have been selected for the Robert Hunter Cup. It seems there is a little internal GE rivalry with Briggs playing on the other team. Who are you supporting?". Golden Era Facebook fan page. Facebook. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
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