We're just about 3 months into 2014, and the year is already shaping up tremendously well. As such, myself and Joe have decided to offload our favourites of this first quarter (as well as a couple of last-ditch efforts from December), with the second and third to follow before the overall year-end list. It's never easy to mash each of our respective tastes into one comprehensive guide, but at least it makes for an interesting list; it's actually quite heartening to see the likes of C L E A N E R S slot alongside Real Estate, or for Sicko Mobb to cosy up next to Have a Nice Life. As ever, there are a few honorable mentions to be made: Live at the Cairo High Cinema Institute (EEK), 37 Minute Workout (Russell Haswell), What's The Story? Brixton Glory (Big Narstie), Divine Ecstasy (Supreme Cuts), Beyoncé (Beyoncé), Lay-By Lullaby (Janek Schaefer) and Oxymoron (ScHoolboy Q). So, in no particular order, here is a rough idea of where we're at with 2014...
Showing posts with label EP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EP. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
New Music: James Ferraro
James Ferraro does love fucking with his admirers. Although his latest album, NYC, Hell 3:00 AM, will most likely end up ranking highly on my own albums of the year list, it's a rather confusing entry into his artistic oeuvre. And, in typical Ferraro style, before anybody can even begin to figure it all out, he decides to drop some new music! What a bugger. Anyway, new Ferraro material is always a good thing, so be sure to check out God of London below for a further blast of postmodern anxiety.
Saturday, 2 November 2013
Review: Milo
Milo Cavalcade (Hellfyre Club, 2013)
Milo, member of Scribble Jam champion Nocando's label Hellfyre Club, is the latest breakthrough in abstract hip-hop. You may be questioning yourself, "Abstract hip-hop? What on earth could that possibly imply?", but after listening to any of his 5 acclaimed releases, it will soon become strikingly clear. His music has been dubbed by Rate Your Music as being a part of the rap sub-genre 'nerdcore', and with track names such as 'Sophistry and Illusion' and lyrics based around 'boiling the elements down into the axioms', it is evident that Milo clearly isn't your generic rap artist.
Cavalcade is a mixtape that showcases the self-reflective and mindful lyrics that truly epitomise Milo, and although I have thoroughly enjoyed every piece of work since his debut album I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here, I feel like his lyrical adeptness and general artistic awareness have evolved dramatically over the past two years and have harmoniously mingled together to create one of the most conceptual mixtapes of 2013. This 'awareness' comes through well in the first track, 'Geometry and Theology', which contains a thought-provoking concept from the late Ludwig Wittgenstein in the opening minute about the origins of language, and then transitions to a dreamy spoken-word verse that flits between themes of the generic fangirl on Twitter and the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. It sounds like it should be an awkward mish-mash of trivial nonsense, but in reality, it works so perfectly well.
Although none of the tracks on Cavalcade reduced me to tears like 'The Ballad of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy' on the EP Milo Takes Baths so very nearly did, producer Riley Lake's airy, dream-like production really creates an overwhelming atmosphere; the samples from America and shadowy drum beats fluctuate between creating a quiet, ambient atmosphere and a strangely pleasant harsh one.
All in all, Cavalcade marks the beginning of a promising career for Milo, and I am thoroughly intrigued as to whether he shall continue in this direction on future releases.
Milo, member of Scribble Jam champion Nocando's label Hellfyre Club, is the latest breakthrough in abstract hip-hop. You may be questioning yourself, "Abstract hip-hop? What on earth could that possibly imply?", but after listening to any of his 5 acclaimed releases, it will soon become strikingly clear. His music has been dubbed by Rate Your Music as being a part of the rap sub-genre 'nerdcore', and with track names such as 'Sophistry and Illusion' and lyrics based around 'boiling the elements down into the axioms', it is evident that Milo clearly isn't your generic rap artist.
Cavalcade is a mixtape that showcases the self-reflective and mindful lyrics that truly epitomise Milo, and although I have thoroughly enjoyed every piece of work since his debut album I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here, I feel like his lyrical adeptness and general artistic awareness have evolved dramatically over the past two years and have harmoniously mingled together to create one of the most conceptual mixtapes of 2013. This 'awareness' comes through well in the first track, 'Geometry and Theology', which contains a thought-provoking concept from the late Ludwig Wittgenstein in the opening minute about the origins of language, and then transitions to a dreamy spoken-word verse that flits between themes of the generic fangirl on Twitter and the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. It sounds like it should be an awkward mish-mash of trivial nonsense, but in reality, it works so perfectly well.
Although none of the tracks on Cavalcade reduced me to tears like 'The Ballad of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy' on the EP Milo Takes Baths so very nearly did, producer Riley Lake's airy, dream-like production really creates an overwhelming atmosphere; the samples from America and shadowy drum beats fluctuate between creating a quiet, ambient atmosphere and a strangely pleasant harsh one.
All in all, Cavalcade marks the beginning of a promising career for Milo, and I am thoroughly intrigued as to whether he shall continue in this direction on future releases.
Monday, 29 July 2013
New Track: DJ Rashad
Chi-town footworker DJ Rashad released another impressive EP on Hyperdub last week, by the name of I Don't Give a Fuck. As it stands, this new EP is but another impressive addition to his canon, and it interestingly plays the yin to Rollin's yang; whereas Rollin struck quite an emotional chord with Rashad's choice of samples, I Don't Give a Fuck finds him, well, not giving a fuck, coming across as much lighter in tone. I would advocate that each of these 4 tracks are well worth your £2.50, but the choice cut has to be "Everybody", which manages the remarkable feat of taking a sample from the infamous Best Cry Ever video and turning it into a seriously amazing track, featuring all the hallmarks of Rashad's sound - throbbing bass, skittering drums, sharp synth lines and expertly chopped-up vocals. For my taste, this could be his greatest achievement yet, which speaks volumes for a man whose discography largely consists of peaks. Stream it below via YouTube.
Monday, 17 December 2012
Review: Mikill Pane
Mikill Pane The Dirty Rider EP (Mercury Records)
Mikill Pane's new EP combines various features from his previous releases, and has created what I believe to be his best non-collaboration EP as of yet. 'The Craig Bang' is a convivial, too-fast-to-function track, which is a huge leap forward for the UK rap scene in itself considering that tracks from most leading grime artists usually consist of generic GarageBand style beats and lazy flows, and that's before even mentioning the lyrical content. This genius lyricist is going to be absolutely huge in 2013 with the release of his debut album Blame Miss Barclay; as he so kindly put it, "I'm zipping up the charts like I'm YKK". Take a listen and you'll be thanking me later, I promise.
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