New Music: Grapes (James Ferraro)

The ever-mystifying James Ferraro has been pretty hot damn prolific lately, and it would appear he's got a new alias as Grapes. The two tracks he's dropped thus far, "." and "Sherm", feature Jim rapping (for the first time?) over some woozy-ass instrumentals (definitely not the first time), replete with movie samples and sirens aplenty. Give them a listen below, and expect more to come from Grapes.

#STOPTHEVIOLENCE #GRAPES 2014

Review: Eminem

Eminem Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Aftermath Entertainment)

I haven't a fucking clue how to open this review, so I shan't. Here's a (Facebook) dialogue of mine and Joe Sherwood's time with the Marshall Mathers LP 2:

Gilbey: My iTunes play count for MMLP2 currently stands at 18 and I still don't have the foggiest clue whether I love it or not. Thinking about it, its a hell of a lot better than Recovery although that isn't too hard I guess... yeah I love it.
Sherwood: tbf recovery was a pile of crap. this however... its much better than anything I thought a man of ems vintage could produce
Gilbey: I think his vintage has actually worked to his advantage on this is I'm honest. Most of the beats that he and Rubin worked on are testament to many of the tracks on the first LP, that's probably why I like Brainless so much... that beat is raw.
Sherwood: yeah man, having heard the beat for rap god i wasn't exactly expecting much, but on the whole i have to say the production is above average for late-period em.
Sherwood: speaking of rap god... what do you think of it
Gilbey: Well let's just put it this way, when he was on Radio 1 with Zane Lowe on Monday and revealed that he freestyled the whole track, I think I creamed... his flow is just absolutely untouchable. That shit about Ray J and Fabolous? My gosh that had me in bits.
Sherwood: if it was indeed a freestyle, then i guess em truly is the goat. shame he had to do it all over a wack beat
Sherwood: and the homophobia aint gonna win him any points in these hyperaware times

Gilbey: Talking of which, that Craig Jenkins Pitchfork review really pissed me off... I think he slated his controversial lyrics more than they reviewed the actual musical content. I'll admit that his politically incorrect slurs go too far sometimes but come ON man, it doesn't make him a bad rapper...

Sherwood: well em is operating within a genre which is heavily reliant on lyrics
Sherwood: but yeah you still cant knock his technical ability

Gilbey: Despite that, 90% of his lyrics are absolutely stellar, you can appreciate that after just listening to the first 30 seconds or so of Rap God. "...they said I rap like a robot so call be Rapbot. But for me to rap like a computer must be in my genes/jeans, I've got a laptop in my back pocket." JEEEEEEEZ

Sherwood: especially if theyre straight off the top of his dome

Gilbey: I actually read somewhere - I think it was in Complex's interview with Rick Rubin - that he writes lyrics all day every day to keep his mind exercised, and that he discards about 98% of the raps he writes. Surely that's gotta make him one of the most committed in the game?

Sherwood: probably, its just that said commitment is no substitute for quality lyrics, something hes lacked of late

Gilbey: Fair point, I thought his references to I'm Back and The Real Slim Shady in So Far... were pretty damn cool though, ngl. Anyway enough of the lyrics, what about the features?

Sherwood: fuck rihanna, all im saying
Sherwood: kendrick had a good turn on love game tho, some quality punchline rapping

Gilbey: To add to that, fuck Nate Ruess.

Sherwood: tru say

Gilbey: Kendrick's verse is so hard. Its been nice to see him feature on a lot of tracks in 2013 actually, he seems to have a very different street-smart persona when rapping on his own tracks to his comical, almost angry, approach on tracks like Nosetalgia and Control

Sherwood: its great having em and kendrick on the same track. like, one of mainstream hip-hops biggest artists collaborating with one of mainstream hip-hops most promising stars

Gilbey: I posted on Twitter a while ago that Kendrick's got the potential to become the greatest rapper alive and I'd definitely still stand by that. YOU WANNA SEE A DEAD BODY?

Sherwood: on a slightly related note, dig the kendrick sample on 18+ new mixtape
Sherwood: back on topic doe
Sherwood: is mmlp2 something of a swansong? a new beginning? or just another record?

Gilbey: That's an interesting one actually. I certainly wouldn't say its a swansong because he's still easily got another couple of albums in him, from what I've seen in interviews and documentaries he treats rap like a way of life so he'll want to hold onto it for as long as he can. A new beginning however... I'm really not sure, its difficult to say considering its a sequel to a 13 year old album. We'll just have to wait and see I guess

Sherwood: so, another record? id say so, albeit better than all of his recent stuff

Gilbey: Yeah I'd say its his best piece since The Eminem Show 11 years ago, loved that shit. One last thing, Em won a Global Icon Award at the MTV EMAs for MMLP2... deserved?

Sherwood: hmmm, probably. em IS a global icon, and mmlp2 is a pretty decent album of his, so alls good in my book

Review: LAMPGOD & **Ł_RD//$M$

LAMPGOD & **Ł_RD//$M$ **$$EXT8PE?? (Bootleg Tapes, 2013)

It's safe to say that **$$EXT8PE?? is fairly dirrty. Not like you needed me to tell you that - the fact that it's being released alongside a strange promotional porno-video-collage and features song titles such as "**A$$IANMA$$TERBATION??" is telling enough. But **$$EXT8PE?? isn't just conceptually nasty, for it sounds grimy as hell too, encapsulating the grotty mixtape stylings that one may find on a Memphis rap tape.

At its core, **$$EXT8PE?? is a messy sound collage, comprised of stock music, soul and YouTube rips, all presented underneath a veil of hiss and static. It's an interesting approach even without the porn aesthetic, but the successful marriage of thematics and music takes **$$EXT8PE?? above and beyond other internet mixtapes and into its very own tightly-knit world of trash. The overriding motif of this album, just in case you haven't already figured it out, is pornography, and although this is mainly conveyed through the track titles, certain loops strongly allude to illicit love. Tracks like "**P.O.V.(2011)??", "**BLACKONBLACK??" and "**BU$$TEDCHEATING??" feature crushed soul samples with lyrics that definitely imply love-making, and on "**BABY$$ITTERGET$$CaUGHT??" a Bobby Womack snippet is screwed into a sexy, perverted jam. There's nothing particularly unique or new about the methods of sampling here, but these choice cuts are so intriguing and unpredictable that the album feels rather singular in its nature, and quite unlike any other sound collage project that 2013 has brought us (Ahnnu, Andrew Pekler, etc.).

In a year rife with small-time internet producers re-appropriating the past, LAMPGOD and **Ł_RD//$M$ have worked wonders with **$$EXT8PE??. It's an exciting, invigorating album, and it serves as even more proof that sample-based music can create enticing experiences with their palette of plundered sounds.

Reviews: D/P/I and 18+

D/P/I Espresso Digital (Chance Images, 2013)

Deep Tapes' head-honcho Alex Gray has had quite a prolific solo career of late, flinging out numerous releases under various guises - Heat Wave, DJ/PURPLE/IMAGE, Purple/Image, and now D/P/I (he has also recently released an album for Preservation under the Deep Magic alias). Somehow, project after project, Gray always manages to impress with his garbled plunderphonics and glitchy, spaced-out beats. It is to his credit, then, that Espresso Digital not only continues this trend, but manages to surpass all of his recent releases in terms of sheer, funked-up quality.

As ever, Gray's sample choices are fairly abstract, but the way in which he pulls it all together is so damn convincing that it all makes perfect sense. Where else could a heartfelt wedding speech sit alongside cries of "SHE CAN YELL, WHAT'S UP?", and jittery ambience cosy up with a spacious drum track? It's strangely intoxicating stuff, but it works, and should you submit to Gray's beguiling lo-fi beat tape charm, you will find plenty to enjoy in Espresso Digital's whacked-out, sloppy, yet coherent tracklist.

18+ MIXTA2E (Self-released, 2012)

Little is known (to me, anyway) about 18+. The mysterious "Boy"/"Sis" duo create music that defies any real classification; it's sort of witch house, with shades of cloud rap in the form of Boy's verses. Actually, a good descriptor of 18+'s sound would be "cloudy"; in the same way that Hype Williams used to cloak themselves beneath a veil of tape hiss, 18+ lurk beneath a shadowy backdrop of lo-fi beats and samples while they spit/sing in a hazy, lazy manner.

Apparently, some of these beats on their second mixtape are sourced from other producers (Holy Other is one name I've seen mentioned), but I couldn't begin to tell you which tracks are original productions and which are lifted from elsewhere, owing to the singular approach the duo take. The grotty, overtly sexual themes found in MIXTA2E's lyrics verge on unpleasant; a fetishisation of the deep web, a porno on a flickering screen in a dark room. The sterility of the music combined with these lyrics give MIXTA2E a dark, almost menacing edge, and it's enthralling to hear. Be sure to keep an eye on 18+; I know I most certainly will.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Joe Gilbey's 'Best of 2013 So Far'

First of all, I apologise again for the scarcity of posts over the last couple of months. However, Joe Sherwood and I are treating you all dearly this half term with our 'Best of 2013 So Far' lists, so I do hope that you forgive us. I feel that two albums need a special mention though considering that they would be on this list if I'd released it a month later, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for Yeezus by Kanye West and Untitled EP 2 by Hodgy Beats, I'm pretty excited about those.

2013 has been dominated by rap and experimental hip-hop so far which is something that I always like to see, and I think that shows through in this list a fair bit so sorry if you feel that there is a lack of variety. Every man to his own, right?

Tweet me or Joe Sherwood if you have any suggestions for albums that we may have missed out on!
@JoeGilbey
@SoeJherwood


20) Dean Blunt The Redeemer (Hippos in Tanks)

19) Iceage You're Nothing (Matador Records)

18) Frank Turner Tape Deck Heart (Interscope)

17) David Bowie The Next Day (ISO Records)

16) Mikill Pane The Lucky Strike EP (Self-released)

15) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Push The Sky Away (Bad Seeds Ltd.)

14) Slim Guerilla & DJ Smokey Guerilla Warfare (Self-released)

13) Le1f Fly Zone (Greedhead Entertainment)

12) Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City (XL Recordings)

11) Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge Twelve Reasons To Die (Soul Temple Records)

10) Koreless Yugen (Young Turks)

9) A$AP Rocky Long.Live.A$AP (Polo Grounds/RCA)

8) Ghostpoet Some Say I So I Say Light (Play It Again Sam)

7) Tree Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out (Creative Control)

6) Daft Punk Random Access Memories (Daft Life/Columbia)

5) Chance The Rapper Acid Rap (Self-released)

Don't expect too much depth from Acid Rap, that's all.

"Na na na na na, na na na na na!"

4) James Blake Overgrown (Republic)

Overgrown contains some of this unsung British hero's greatest work to date. He has stepped up since James Blake and his various extended plays when it comes to both producing and songwriting, which resulted in him creating one of the most soulful and artistic albums of the year so far. There is almost definitely a lot more to come from this man, and considering that he's been noticed by artists such as RZA, I think that we can expect more hip-hop/R&B artists to collaborate with him in the future.

3) The Child of Lov The Child of Lov (Double Six)

Whatever Damon Albarn touches turns to gold, so after learning that Blur's musically cultured front man would be both producing and appearing on The Child of Lov's self-titled debut album, it was pretty evident that this Dutch artist was off to an impressively good start. The album itself portrays the artist's personal social viewpoint (his identity is currently unknown as he hasn't released much information about himself) in a bouncy and convivial way that gives a very similar 'multi-genre' vibe to that of Demon Days by Gorillaz or a late OutKast album, which shows that The Child of Lov definitely has much potential for the future.

2) The Knife Shaking The Habitual (Brille/Rabid)

Most bands wouldn't dare attempting to take such a risk in creating an experimental album like Shaking The Habitual, but dear lord has this paid off. 

I was fairly anxious about listening to an album of such a monstrous nature at first, but after it had been recommended to me for the third time I just had to but my mind at ease and give it a spin, which turned out one of the best decisions I have made for a long time. It is a relatively slow-moving and spacious album but is undoubtedly rewarding if given its due listen, so if you're easily dissuaded by long tracks then sit on your hands and face your fears; you'll thank me later.

1) Tyler, The Creator Wolf (Odd Future Records)

Wolf is most definitely a large landmark in Tyler's musical life. Not only has he learned to channel his hatred for our monotonous society, he's also combined his trademark versatile beats and lyrical dexterity in a way that only offends a small minority of social groups, as opposed to half of the globe. Of course, he continues to rant about his father, uncultivated fans and women in general, but what more could you expect from a member of Odd Future?

The album features many impressive guests such as the infamous OFWGKTA crew (Domo Genesis, Hodgy Beats, Frank Ocean etc.) and also a few of the most successful hip-hop artists of the past decade, including Erykah Badu, Nas and Pharell. This unquestionably reflects well on Tyler's huge jump in maturity, as it shows that he's conscious of his influence on his ever-growing fan base, and therefore has an inherent duty to inspire future generations with legendary music.

Although Tyler's lost some of the zaniness that made Goblin such a compelling listen, he's technically improved in just about every way, which makes Wolf a near impossible album to top this year.

(Not So) Retrospectives: Death Grips

A name on the lips of many a music blogger, and fans of music in general, is Death Grips, the alternative hip-hop outfit (comprised of Stefan "MC Ride" Burnett, and producers Zach Hill and Andy Morin) that has dealt with a fair amount of controversy in the past few days and months. Following the April release of The Money Store, the groups major label debut, it became clear that they were certainly worth keeping an eye out for, especially considering they had teased at No Love, the follow-up album, which was to be released in the fall. No Love became No Love Deep Web, and the album was cryptically teased further through a series of archive files, that revealed details about the release in Braille, QR code, and Morse, but to name a few. It quickly became one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year, but the saga took a turn for the stranger when record label Epic allegedly pushed the release back to 2013. The group took issue with this, and in one of the most daring stances against a major label ever, No Love Deep Web was self-released by Death Grips on October 1. To top off the controversial manner of its release, the artwork was revealed to be an erect phallus, complete with the album's title Sharpied onto it. No Love Deep Web has had over 30 million legal downloads since its release, and in the past few days, the group have been dropped by Epic, in a move that suprised nobody. So, here's to Death Grips; 2012's most brilliant troublemakers. Oh, and the albums are pretty good as well.


The Money Store

Following Exmilitary, the 2011 mixtape, Death Grips were an exciting prospect, and with The Money Store, they just about fulfilled all of their promises. To describe the album, one could only use the word harsh; from the production to the lyrics, The Money Store is brash, often alienating, but always thrilling. And in a world filled with prima donna popstars and "rappers", the album is an adrenaline rush, and a wildly exciting experience. The production is abrasive and loud, with an eclectic range of influences, from rave to techno, to DnB to electro. Lyrics deal with racial issues, paranoia, and an age of materialism, particularly in closer Hacker, where pop culture references are dropped at will - MC Ride shouts that Gaga can't handle this shit, after claiming he will make your waters break in the Apple store - and it flows as a stream of consciousness, off-the-top-of-the-head piece of writing. The album is an outpouring of rage, and is gleefully unfocused in doing so. Overall then, The Money Store remains one of the calendar year's most essential listens, and is certainly a contender for album of the year. For any fans of Exmilitary worried about the group going pop following their major record deal, The Money Store is a chaotic, angry affirmation that they needn't fret.




No Love Deep Web 

In the aftermath of The Money Store, you could be forgiven for being excited about No Love Deep Web, the second album released by Death Grips in 2012. The downright bizarre, albeit innovative, promotion of No Love Deep Web only heightened the hype surrounding it. Just as it seemingly reached fever pitch, the albums release date was pushed back to 2013; the rest, as was explained in the opening paragraph, is history. So, here we have the single most controversial release of the year, in all its glory. How does it stack up against its predecessor? As it turns out, the group can be even more angry; the album is fairly sample-less, with dark Roland drum machine sounds being the key component of the production, and the production certainly feels a little colder, aggressive even, for it. Lyrics are, true to form, shouty and brimming with anger; suicide seems to be a constant running throughout No Love Deep Web, as MC Ride asks you to "Die with me/ Blow out the lights, take your life/ Ride the falling sky with me". He also comes across as quite fierce, more so than ever, providing quotables such as "I'm the coat hanger in your man's vagina", found on track Deep Web. No Love Deep Web is an undeniably riotous listen, and although it doesn't match the sheer inventiveness of The Money Store, it is intriguing nonetheless, and well worth the free download.