Record of Achievement
By Dweller
Album Review
Bolton born, Manchester emcee, Producer & DJ, Dweller
has, over the last 13 years or so, released a whole host of albums, singles,
EPs and Mixtapes and has collaborated with the likes of UK legends Chrome and
Scorzayzee among others. Crafting an honest look at life and at times with a
satirical twist, Dweller is about to drop his latest album Record of
Achievement.
I can’t introduce this album any better than to give you
Dwellers own words:
“I Consider (this Album) to be my most articulate venture to date. Why
may you ask? I believe it can take a very long time to find
your groove and this process of refinement can take many years of trial and
error. This was the case for me and fluttered in and out of different corners
of the musical map like a brain-damaged moth trying to find the light.
Eventually I realised that I got it right first time”.
“I
tried to make this album resonate one clear message: Never give up on your
dreams. I had to shelve my need for creativity and expression while spending
many years working a job that wasn’t right for me in order to pay bills, put
food on the table & support my wife in her studies to be a nurse. (Now
fully qualified and I am immensely proud)”.
“It's been a tough journey for sure but not one I intend to put on a pedestal for any sort of sympathy. This album is dedicated to the regular working Joe (or Josephine). The parent who is forced to miss precious time with their children to make ends meet, the worker who has no choice but to sacrifice their passion for pounds…”
“It's been a tough journey for sure but not one I intend to put on a pedestal for any sort of sympathy. This album is dedicated to the regular working Joe (or Josephine). The parent who is forced to miss precious time with their children to make ends meet, the worker who has no choice but to sacrifice their passion for pounds…”
When you take this all into account
before you even listen to the album you get a real sense of what he is putting
across in his music and makes you understand that this guy is coming from the
same place as you and me and you a glimpse at life as he sees it.
So let’s get into this album track by
track as I give you my insights:
How an album kicks off says a lot
about the experience you about to have and Ave
It, is about as heavy an introduction as you can get. Production comes from
Pro P with a raw and banging beat which is a proper backdrop for Dweller to
drop an overview of life in general with a flow and skill that makes you
realise that something wicked is about hit your senses. The album continues
with the jazzy laid back vibe of Jonny Capicola’s production on World on my Shoulders, where Dweller
deftly takes us through the stresses and strains of life, something we can all
relate to, and that it is important to really relax and enjoy life. Continuing
that laid back vibe but, with a more modern lyrical twist, on Rats we are taken on a ride through the
dark places we can all go to at times during the regularity of daily toil and fact
that we do our best to break free of the hold that we can often feel under as
we indulge in the weekend. Production comes from Dweller, Dan Lever (Harmonica)
& Richard Rollinson (Bass) and really brings some nice elements with the
Bass and Harmonica vibes mixed in along with Emily Cooke’s serene vocal
providing the contrast.
We have all experienced that same shit
different day vibe and Groundhog Day,
which features Lomax on the guest vocals, really takes you to that place. The
beat is back to that bomb bap vibe and is provided here by Pro P. Keeping the
vibe heavy but, laid back with it, Another
World takes us on a trip to the world behind your closed eyes where you be
whoever you wanna be, wherever you wanna be, a place to chill and take time out
from life. Production comes from Mastarblastar with cuts from Simon Cannon.
Taking us to the halfway point is Breadwinner,
which is a digital bonus track. Detailing the life of all those of us who are
the breadwinners for our families and all the responsibilities and struggles
that can come with it. The track features Boston USA emcee Batfunk, who gives
us the lowdown of struggles from his point of view and experiences. The vibe here
is really chilled out on the production and comes from Jonny Capicola.
It is Jonny Capicola’s dope, head nod
production on Matter of Time, where
we take a short break from reality with a tale of two guys from different sides
of law. It’s always good to have a break from reality and who doesn’t like cops
and robber stories and this one is crafted perfectly. Queen of English continues Jonny Capicloa’s production with chilled
vibe that you can still nod along to as Dweller provides a homage to his better
half. If you have a queen in your life, this track shows the perfect way to
show you appreciation for everything she does. Dweller’s own production on Irons in the Fire, keeps that head
nodding with a laid back jazzy vibe. This track takes us into the mind of the
entrepreneur who always has many irons in the fire to bring their vision to
fruition.
Someone
else’s Dream brings back that Bomb bap vibe with production from Jonny
Capicola. Here Dweller tells us that in life we work the 9-5 building the
dreams of other but, one day you gotta take that chance and chose to build your
own and not someone else’s dream. The penultimate track is Smoke Rings. You can’t get more relaxed than his own production on
this one. A track that grew from Dweller sitting back a few summers ago
whittling away at some wood under the sun. This track feels like the definition
of relaxation and, for me anyway, shows how mixing other forms of music with
Hip Hop can really help create the vibe you are looking for. So, into the final
track of the album with Familiar Ground,
a jazzy soulful groove that reminded me of tracks by MC Buzz B back in the day.
Dwellers production alongside the soulful trumpet of Andrew Lofthouse really
takes you to a special place where you can take a minute or two just to
remember who you are in the grand scheme of things.
I have to say that this album really
took me to many different places. Although it was a rollercoaster of vibes and
themes, it was properly rooted in reality, except for that one excursion. It
was also a nice change to round of the album with a vibe which really put you
into a nice positive frame of mind and huge respect to Dweller for expertly
crafting that.
This is definitely one of those albums
that you will not want to skip a track on. The vibe of the whole album and the
way the tracks have been arranged keeps the flow perfectly in the groove from
start to finish. There is so much here that each and every one of us can relate
to that it easy to see this album as a soundtrack to your own life, it really
is that relatable for you from day to day. That was such a huge plus for me as
I listened to album and made me really feel the dedication, the emotion and
everything that went into crafting the album.
I really can’t pick out anything I
didn’t enjoy and that really is a testament to Dwellers talent as an emcee,
producer and DJ (Yes, apart from one track Dweller provided all the cuts
himself).
This is defiantly an album I recommend
that you grab a copy of. You can wait for the digital only release or you can
jump on the crowd funding link below and grab your physical copy of the vinyl.
Whatever, you do grab it as this is going to be a future classic in my book.
The production values are all totally on point and the guest emcees and
musicians add that extra depth and polish to the album.
Huge thanks and respect to Dweller for
asking me to review this album. 2020 is shaping up nicely for UK Hip Hop.
Till next time, One Love people.
Steve
No comments:
Post a Comment