Album Review: Salamander by Deeq x Farma G

 

Salamander

By

Deeq X Farma G

 

This week we have one of the latest releases from the UK label Gold On The Mixer and also sees the return of Deeq to the blog who I first featured way back in 2021 as part of Flooded Hallways alongside Nemrot. This time we find Deeq partnering with the legendary figure of Farma G (Task Force) to bring us the album Salamander.

Salamander sees Deeq taking on Vocal duties as well as recording and artwork, with Farma G providing the production. There are vocal features from EF Knows, Farma G, Evolucian, and FlowTecs, with the whole project mixed and mastered by Zatoichi’s Ears.

Released at the end of February this year, the album is ten tracks deep and has already seen the vinyl version sold out here in the UK. So, the best thing I can do now is to take you on a trip through the album and give you my thoughts…

We begin our journey with Porcelain, The intro to this one has you mind spinning for a few seconds, wondering where its gonna take you but, soon enough the heavy beat kicks in with these organ notes and your head gets to nodding. There is a depth to this one too, and as you listen to Deeq’s words, you realise why it has the title it does, because this one seems to refer to the fragile nature of things, from everything that you build, to society around you and the very nature of the planet you live on. From those thoughts of the fragile nature of things, we move onto English Malady, and from the title you get an instant feeling as to where this one might be going. Farma’s beat incorporates strings into a heavy drumbeat, this brings a vibe that has a weight to it, something seeps into the core of your being. As you listen you really get the feeling this is a heart felt message that speaks on the state of this island we live on. A tiny island but, a superpower on the world stage where the powers that be will do anything to maintain that, even at a cost to those who live here. In fact, the message is so deep here that you could talk for hours about the ramifications of what truly ails this country. With your mind still spinning, it’s time for EF Knows to make his first appearance on All That Burns in Not Consumed. Here Farma brings Strings and harpsichord as the main sound over the nice head nod beat. This gives this one a more relaxed feel which eases the heaviness somewhat and takes the things a bit more upbeat. Deeq and EF Knows bring vocals that bring an uplifting edge as you get the feeling this one speaks on the fact that no matter the fire that burns in any aspect of your life, there is always something left to build on, to help you rise from the ashes once again. It is a reminder that you are always stronger that you realise, even if you do hit rock bottom, you are still here to climb up once more. As those thoughts rise in your mind, it’s time to more forward as Deeq is joined by Farma G, EF Knows, and Evolucian on Grey-Sky Thinking. Horns, strings and keys all merge over the beat to create a sound that has this big, almost soundtrack kinda sound that brings an energy that seems to form in your heart centre and then fill your entire being. This one has the posse cut vibe about it and is one of those to sit back and enjoy, because here its all about the electric wordplay being demonstrated by each emcee, something that just leaves you buzzing when the time is up. We have reached the end of side A, for those listening on the vinyl, and we do that with Pyrrhic Victory, Stings and keys all come together on a pounding beat, bringing a sound that, once more, has a heavy vibe to it. As you listen to the lyrics, the deep aspect that is infused in the sound and the words really hits home and you get this sense that everything feels like a hollow victory and you research the meaning of the title, and this makes you understand things more as a Pyrrhic Victory is one where cost to the victor means it is more like a defeat. This makes you listen more intently, and you realise that life does seem to go this way, especially in the current state of society, there always seems to be something that takes away from the happiness you feel each day. I feel the message here is to not put yourself in that position and do your best not to allow things to get to you…

So, for the vinyl heads among you, its time to flip to side B, and for the rest of you; next up is Guilty, where the sound is far more uplifting, with guitars and keys coming together with the beat to get you moving and listening intently. Deeq brings us a track that speaks on life, love and personal experiences that lay open all the things he is guilty of, good or bad. There is a real sense that this one is something we canal relate to in some way and fills you with a knowing that we can all change and find our best way forward. Next up is the albums title track, Salamander, which sees Deeq joined by EF Knows and FlowTecs. This one has a heavy beat with horns and electronic sounds that merge to give us a mind bending sound. Listening to this might take you a while to get a feel for what the track is about and there is a good chance you might get something different to me. I really felt there was this aspect that was all about constantly reinventing yourself, shedding your old skin as you are constantly bombarded by the energy of the world around you. Never let that negative energy seep to far into you before you shed your skin and begin to face the world anew. Madame Guillotine has the final feature from EF Knows, and final feature of the album. Here the beat continues to uplift us with strings and vocal samples bringing a sound that really lifts you up. However, the lyrics have you questioning if you should feel up lifted here as it almost feels like a love song to Guillotine itself. However, my thoughts drifted to all the moments when you come face-to-face with the outcome of your own actions, facing up to the choices you made and that you have to come to terms with that in some way. Its interesting where music takes you sometimes. As we move into the last couple of tracks, the penultimate track is Alone With Everybody which has infectious sound of drum beat and piano, which is one of those sounds that has an emotive quality that just seems to touch you deeply. Sometimes when you here an emcee talk about how they see themselves, there is a certain amount of braggadocio involved; and to a certain extent it appears so here but, as you listen, it almost feels like you are listening to a story of a legendary emcee who is just trying to do there thing and be at peace. It made me think of the move John Wick, except here we have an emcee who others will come for but, id one you really just want to leave alone, because if pushed they will do what needs to be done. The final track here is Godhead, the beat is heavy and laced with guitars, strings, and piano notes. The outcome is another sound that can be felt through every ounce of your body. With the references to Romeo and Juliet here it took me a little while to understand what I was feeling on this one. But, one I had listened a few times it felt to me like there was a lot here about the battle of good and evil, love and hate, but, also there was something that kept saying to me the battle of constantly looking outside for validation and the answers when your own validation should come from within and the answers depend on the questions you ask. It was a great way to end the album leaving you with so much to think about.

 

So, overall, this is an extremely good album and one that you should give the time to and properly listen to. Now, I could end it there but, aside from what I have already written above, what makes this album that good?

First up you have Deeq who crafts his lyrics and wordplay with a deep intellectual ability that makes you want to listen and to understand and feel what is being said. But it is not just about his crafting of the words but, also his delivery; and you really get the sense that there is a lot of heart and emotion put into every word of every verse, and this gives a depth to every track, regardless of the subject matter. He brings you words that not only twist and turn in the mind but, also elicit an energetic response that you feel, showing you the conviction he has in his craft and the message he seeks to bring with it.

Secondly, you have the quality of production from Farma G, who just seems to be able to bring this stunning musical depth to everything he touches, and here it is no exception. Every track displays a sound that mirrors the emotive aspect of the lyrics, providing the perfect platform for Deeq to deliver. What this does overall, is create Hip Hop music that has a soul to it and one that is firmly rooted in a way that allows you to feel it with every inch of your body and not just in your mind.

So, together these two work so well together and it seems like this album was meant to happen. It brings both a pleasurable listening experience and one that is easy to associate with. Plus, if you really take the time to listen in depth here, you might just find that it touches you in ways you did not expect.

In my opinion, Salamander is a solid Hip Hop album that brings an emotive aspect you simply can’t ignore. It might say different things to you than it did to me but, then that is the pleasure of good music as it speaks to you in the moment, whenever that moment is you need to hear it.

Salamander by Deeq X Farma G is out now on Gold On The Mixer.

My huge thanks to Deeq for the chance to bring you this one.

Peace Out,

Steve.

LINKS

Grab your copy of Salamander Here:

https://goldonthemixer.bandcamp.com/album/salamander-gotm068

Deeq Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/deeq.dark.imagery

https://www.instagram.com/deeq_darkimagery/

Farma G:

https://linktr.ee/farmag

Gold On The Mixer Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/goldonthemixer

https://www.instagram.com/goldonthemixer/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpNPqi3H0XjUaWcDG7wUSBQ

VIDEOS

English Malady

 

 

 

 

 

Album Review: The Wreckage by Create-A-Mess

 

The Wreckage

By

Create-A-Mess

 

The Wreckage is the hot new album on AE Productions out of Bristol and is brought to us from Create-A-Mess, otherwise known as the UK’s own, Jonny Cuba (Dynamic Syncopation, Soundsci).

Jonny’s pedigree as a producer on the Hip Hop scene, knows almost no bounds and has seen him work with the likes of Mass Influence, Chill Rob G, Apathy, EV.ON, Juice Aleem, Phi Life Cypher and a great many more besides. He formed Soundsci in 2009 with Ollie Teeba (Herbaliser) and Audessey aka Jack Jones (Mass Influence), and over time the crew would expand and see Oxygen and U-George come onboard for the releases like Soundsational (Ubiquity Records) and My Boosey Weighs a Ton (Cavendish Library). Emcee Supastition would also join the crew for their final LP, Walk The Earth (Fresh Pressings).

It was following this final release from Soundsci that Jonny would go on to help his Soundsci crew mates U-George, Ollie Teeba and Jack Jones on their solo projects. As time went by it was only right that Jonny should release his own solo project, and under the moniker of Create-A-Mess he has done just that. Utilising his bold and intricate production style and wealth of unheard beats, breaks and samples; plus, a stunning line-up of Emcees that include, J Scienide, Eddie Meeks, Ghettosocks, Nilla, Emskee, Jesus Mason, and his Soundsci brothers: Jack Jones, U-George and Oxygen, with all cuts and sctratches coming from Ollie Teeba.

Now, with all that considered, there is only one thing left for me to do, and that is to get into this one…

 

This album is eight tracks deep and kicks off with Clues which features Jesus Mason and Emskee on vocal duties. This one gets your head nodding from the get-go as the drum beat mixes with bass and other elements to give you this sound that you don’t just enjoy as Hip Hop but, it does seem to have this almost hypnotic edge to it. Jesus and Emskee trade verses and provide a solid display of wordplay that, as you listen to the metaphors and more, give you some clue as to their pedigree on the mic. Next, it is the turn of J.Scienide and Eddie Meeks to step up to the mic for Denmark Hill. Here we find Create-A-Mess getting funky with a slick mix of bass, keys, and strings over a nice drum beat that continues that unconscious desire to move to the sound. As you listen to the vocals on this one, there are plenty of references to driving, motion and just the passing of everyday life, which does make you think of the title and how this all works? Denmark Hill is a place in Camberwell, London, and the lyrics really put in that place, watching the world go by or being part of that rat race. From being rooted very much in the now, we wonder what’s next as Planet People, with Oxygen and Emskee, could keep us rooted here or take us elsewhere?  The deep sound that has guitar vibes taking the forefront over the beat, brings a sound that takes us beyond the confines of the planet but, leaves us observing from above. Oxygen and Emskee skilfully spin vocals that conjure up visions in your head of the past and present of the human race, or should that be the human races? This one makes you think of the good and the bad humans have perpetrated across its existence as the planet people. As those thoughts float around your mind, Thaddius III sees Thaddius Brown (U-George) join us on our journey. This one takes the beat down a few notches in pace as the beat, bass, keys, and Maracas, create this sound that takes your awareness down deep, while keeping just enough of your mind in the now to oak up the vocals. Thaddeus Brown spins metaphors around in your mind taking you to places you never thought you’d go but, its all rooted in the streets. Is this just one persons experience or a conglomeration of many, you decide or maybe Thaddius has already told you, you just need to listen a bit more…

Now, if you are listening to this on a physical copy, this will be the moment you flip it over to the B-Side, and if you are listening on digital, well just keep on listening because Fly Humans is up next with Canadian emcee’s Ghettosocks and Nilla. This one bursts into you ears with cuts and the kind of beat and sound that immediately gets your head nodding and your adrenaline and energy levels rising, quickly. It’s good to have Ghettosocks and Nilla back as they take us off into dark parallel dimension where its hard to know if this is where monsters dwell, or if this is just a description of your own mind. What is apparent is that this is Hip Hop of the highest order ya feel. Its now time for Jack Jones to make his first appearance on Pull Ya Card. The Beat, bass, cuts, and sonic vibes on this give it this funky sound that takes you out the atmosphere. While you are bouncing to the sound Jack Jones schools you to the finer points of wordplay, showing you how it should be done by a true emcee. So, sit back and enjoy this one, because right now its not about where you are, its where its at, and this is where it’s at. As we move into the album’s penultimate track, Emskee returns for Listen Son! Where the beat is funky, the guitars are funky, and the cuts are razor sharp. This one keeps the motion in body and the needle to the groove. Emskee has this voice that just takes you back to the old skool, and here he uses it to great effect as the Hip Hop elder who is offering up pearls of wisdom to the younger generation of up-and-coming emcees. The album ends with Grammaticals, which features Jack Jones and Eddie Meeks on the mic. This one keeps that deep funk vibe with a deep drum sound, alongside horns and bass. It really helps you focus on the vocals here with a vibe that puts you in mind of sitting in a smoky speakeasy, relaxing as the sounds pound and the lyrics infiltrate your mind. Here its all about how the words flow with all the metaphors and similes merging and creating the grammaticals.

 

The first thing that strikes you about this album is just how much of a pleasure it is to listen to. From top to bottom, every track has that vibe that just makes you want to move to the music. Not only that, but when an album has this kind of vibe about it, it just makes the whole reviewing and writing process a pleasure to as everything you want to say seems to flow, just as the music and lyrics flow.

Now, I might not have written so much about this but, that’s the beauty of this one, it is one of those albums where I simply need to set-up the listening experience for you and the album does the rest. You might say that about most, if not all albums but, there are those times when more just works and the times when less is more, and this is the latter of those two.

Every beat that Create-A-Mess has produced here has that pure Hip Hop sound. Yeah, there are elements of our sounds that come in but, that has always been the beauty of Hip Hop, in that it can incorporate elements of many other genres of music and then make it its own sound. It is plain to see that Jonny Cuba draws on his years of experience to produce something that has to be one of the stand-out Hip Hop albums of the year so far. Every guest emcee here are on their A game, dropping some incredible verses that highlight just how much of an enjoyable experience it must have been to write and record to these beats.

This gives The Wreckage an overall vibe that is well crafted and polished, plus takes the bar for 2025 and sets it at a high level and invites anyone to do better. Now, it might not have been meant that way but, it simply is just that good.

There is a saying that says, ‘You can never get enough of a good thing’, and that applies to The Wreckage. Across the eight tracks, this one clocks in at a little under twenty minutes, a runtime that feels more like an EP. Having said that, it is the shear quality of this release that sticks out. All eight tracks come packed with the kind of Hip Hop that makes you feel every once of the pedigree that comes from Jonny’s experience on the scene, and the same can e said of all those guest emcees, as everything here flows with vibe that says everyone worked together in perfect harmony on this one.

I can honestly say that this one should be on turntables, tape machines and playlists for a good while to come. It is also worth pointing out that Jonny Cuba also provided the Photography on the project with the sleeve design coming from Mr Krum.

The Wreckage was released at the end of January this year on Limited Vinyl, Cassette and on Digital. So, if you have not already checked this one, then I suggest you do so now.

My humble thanks to J at ae Productions for giving me the chance to bring this one to you.

 

See ya next time,

Steve

LINKS

Grab you copy of The Wreckage Here:

https://www.ae-productions.co.uk/shop

or

https://aeproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-wreckage

Jonny Cuba Socials:

https://www.instagram.com/jonny.cuba/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086574421297

ae Productions socials:

https://www.instagram.com/ae_productions_uk/

 

 

 

 

Album Review: Dead Earth 1.0 by Dangerous Creatures

 

Dead Earth 1.0

By

Dangerous Creatures

 

Dead Earth 1.0 is the latest release from Weaponize Records and comes from the hot new collective known as Dangerous Creatures.

The Dangerous Creatures are an “Open Universe collective of musical creatives” were founded by the legendary emcee and producer from the UK King Kashmere, and Essen (Germany) based producer Mimski. It is worth just dropping a short piece about each of them before I go on.

King Kashmere has been a huge figure on the UK scene for over twenty years, and during that time it has seen him create some of the most innovative and boundary-breaking UK Hip Hop with his distinctive wordplay and descriptive lyricism. Much of his work has been heavily influenced by his love for Sci-Fi, comic books and Off-beat Culture.

Mimski literally exploded on the scene in 2021 with her unique Lo-Fi production. This brought her an instant link with UK Hip Hop and has since seen her work with most of the Uks top emcees. She always seeks to ‘push the envelope’ of music production utilising ‘experimental techniques’ that bring a somewhat ‘bone-crunching’ production style. Dead Earth 1.0 will be her first produced work to be released on vinyl.

With Dangerous Creatures being a collective, there are some incredible features on the album in the form of Joker Star, Alecs DeLarge, Dan Peter Parker, Broomman, Ty Healy, Ramson Badbonez, Jazz T, Cappo, and Bigg Jus.

Dead Earth 1.0 has been on pre-sale but gets released digitally today, 7^th March with physical copies shipping as well. The album clocks in at around 43 mins and is comprised of 13 original tracks and 3 remixes. Aside from the remixes all production comes from Mimski, and all features aside, all lyrics come from King Kashmere. Cover art and design is by the renowned US Graffiti and Poet-Graffiti artist Dalek aka James Marshall.

Now, with all that said, there is just one thing left for me to do, and that is to take you on my take of what could well be a musical journey through and beyond what you currently understand as spacetime…

We start our journey with Existence, a sonic masterpiece that in underpinned by a solid beat. As you listen to this one it seems to mess with your mind, taking all your thoughts about what existence might mean, ripping them from the depths of your mind, shaking them up and then casting them back again like some weird multi-universal game of Yahtzee. Welcome To The Future brings us more of a head nod beat that backs a wealth of electronic vibes which merge to easily carry your awareness along to vocals. King Kashmere brings a bleak dystopian vison of a future that, once on a time, might have seemed to be taking place in a parallel universe but, now we realise that it’s not that far away and is only too real for us in the moment. Next, we find Joker Star and Alecs DeLarge featuring on ZPM. The beat and its elements hit you in a way that tweaks your nerves with a pulse, like heartbeat, which is strangely engaging but, at the same time almost has you bringing your hands to your head to keep your mind from exploding. The wordplay here causes your perception of reality to implode, sucked into a blackhole, and spit out on the other side into a reality you struggle to conceptualise. Now, if that wasn’t enough, Dan Peter Parker joins proceedings for CTHULU. Sonic and electronic elements combine with cuts and orchestral elements as Mimski takes us into a space that opens your awareness to a reality that might be inhabited by Lovecraftian entities. The vocals from Dan Peter Parker and King Kashmere take you further into this dark reality, filling your awareness with mind numbing visions of timeless entities that exist in a place you are now open to; these creatures seek not to take your body but, to invade your mind and stretch it a point that never quite breaks it, and just leaves you there…

Marduk brings a pounding beat that soon gives way to a mixture of sonic sounds that surrounds your mind creating a clean slate which is soon splashed with new visions for your mind to comprehend. Here, we are opened to Babylonian gods and their voyages among the cosmoses. Could there be possibilities of these gods being ancient astronauts who came to earth millennia ago? Who knows but, here we are once more, opened up to new ideas and visions of a past that impacts the future. Next up is the album’s title track, Dead Earth which sees Broomman and Ty Healy briefly join us on our journey. Mimski grabs our attention with another mind twisting sound scape of sonic sounds that have you closing your eyes and allowing the words to focus your mind. The wordplay drags you into another bleak view of the future; one where you can only see though closed eyes and the visions the words paint in your mind. The Dangerous Creatures Theme is brought to us in the company of Ramson Badbonez and Jazz T. The bass is heavy as are the keys, the beat is gritty and gets your head nodding and your adrenaline pumping. Here it’s all about complex wordplay with similes and metaphors that seem to be born from a time before the universe existed but, somehow encompass the present moment we inhabit. Perhaps the Dangerous Creatures exist in the now but, are born of the energy that birthed the universe in its current and other forms? Depending on how you are listening to the album, Collapse is either the ending of the first part of the journey or just a stepping stone on its continuation! This short sonic interlude is comprised of a multitude of electronic elements that merge, twist and expand, in a way that pulls you towards flipping from one side to the next or just puts you into freefall for what’s about to come next…  

Our journey continues with Entity which has this electronic which seems to bring you back to earth in one moment, then in the next you’re still floating among the stars; which one it is, is down to you the listener and where you are in the moment, you are the entity. Oblivion 4000 features the legendary Cappo on a beat that has a definite boom bap feel but with elements that give this a soundtrack vibe too that brings the adrenaline to the surface once more. There seems to be two parts to this track as King Kashmere gives us a look at the world around us and how that effects and impacts our now and our future. The second part sees Cappo focus more on the individual and how focusing on the self is more important that allowing yourself to be affected by what come from the world around you. Bigg Jus joins us on Nekron; the beat here has this boom bap element but, Mimski spins these streams around it that pull and stretch your understanding of the musical element you are hearing. We see comic lore deep in this one as Nekron is a DC super villain who is the personification of death. This one is like putting a comic book into musical form but, as you listen there are so many elements to this that could so easily be reflected in situations we see unfolding in society. Pranging out is another musical interlude that has Mimski skilfully bringing a banging beat and then almost softening it into the background as the electronic elements come to the forefront and bring this sound which could find you travelling the depths of space or traversing the depths of your dreamscapes…

Dead Earth (O.R.K.O Click Remix) is the first of three remixes on the album. This remix is a heavy bass vibe that is tinged with tubular bells, this creates a more oppressive air to the sound. This makes the whole idea of a dead earth, that you can only get a vision of though the words you hear, take on a far more desolate feel. The next remix is the Oblivion 4000 (Kashmere Remix ft Jazz T & Cappo) taking nothing away from the message within the original, the beat here is fused with organ notes and keys that give it a slightly darker edge; this gives more weight to the impact of energy from the world around us and cements the idea that looking within is critical for each of us. The final remix is the Welcome To The Future (Alecs DeLarge Remix). This brings another edge to the vibe of the track; where has a more chilled edge to things but, the use of the high paced cymbals and explosion sounds, gives the whole thing a darker edge with something of Lo-Fi Grime sound too. The album ends with Dead End, this is less of an outro and more of a sonic / electronic vibe that seems to echo the very title of the track. It feels very much like you find yourself at an impasse, wondering if there is any way forward or if you should, in fact, go back the way you came…

 

Making your way through this album gives you a very real sense of traversing different versions of reality that not only make you question the notion of spacetime but, also give you a glimpse at the real possibility of how music, words and frequencies could have an effect on your perception of reality.

Dead Earth 1.0 is, without a doubt, a genre bending album that takes the notion of Hip Hop to a very different level. Some might even say it is not Hip Hop at all. However, the influence of Hip Hop is only too clear to see here. Yes, it is true that Mimski brings a whole new depth of production value to project, one that merges and fuses many different sounds in that Lo-Fi way, creating an overall sound that has a dark, heavy edge to it. Creating a sound like this works so well when it is the backdrop to what King Kashmere brings in the way of vocals. What King Kashmere does here is to merge all those eclectic influences and deliver something that seems to be as far away from reality as it is close to reality by the use of extremely clever wordplay and the use of similes and metaphors rooted in ancient mysticism, comic book lore and stories from minds of classic authors. He then merges all that with a deep knowledge of what is going on in the world around us, twisting the narratives to take us beyond the now and throughout time.

This is definitely going to be one of the standout albums of the year, not just because it has that genre bending sound but, also because it has an experimental vibe that keeps you root in the now while allowing you to drift off into other versions of reality. This is a very cleaver album that will undoubtedly stand the test of time.

My advice here is to grab a copy now while you can, and get a handle on where it might take you. The release comes in classic Black vinyl as well as Yellow vinyl and Ltd Cassette too. So, don't sleep as they won't be around forever.

I give my humble thanks to Guy at Weaponize Records for bringing this one to my attention.

 

Now it’s back to reality and I’ll see you next time,

Peace out.

Steve

LINKS

Grab you copy, while you can, on Bandcamp:

https://weaponizerecords.bandcamp.com/album/dead-earth-10

Social Links

https://www.instagram.com/kingkashmere_official/

https://www.instagram.com/mimski_beatz/

https://www.instagram.com/weaponize_records/

Weaponize Records on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551812373834

More Links

https://mimski.bandcamp.com/track/sea-watch-donation-mix

https://kingkashmere.bandcamp.com

VIDEOS

Welcome To The Future