Wake The Dead EP
By
Oldboy
A Review
It’s going to happen that occasionally quality Hip Hop goes
under the radar and that seems to be what has happened here. When I was doing
some research for this EP I couldn’t believe I had not heard any of these
releases by Oldboy before and the fact that this came recommended by the one
and only Junior Disprol, I had to take notice.
Oldboy has been reasonable prolific for a number of years
dropping some impressive releases from your banging Boombap with more than a
dose of knowledge to straight up beat tape style vibes so, you know this guys
has talent. He can do it all from production to emceeing and onwards.
So, what has this latest release got to offer? Well before I
break it down track by track, all the beats on the Wake The Dead EP were
produced by the legendary UK figure of Micall Parknsun and cuts come from
another legendary figure in Jabbathakut, so without even listening you already
get a feel for what’s coming. So, let’s dive in to the EP and see what it’s all
about But, stay around after the review as I dropped a few questions to Oldboy
for a micro review so, don’t miss that...
There is no easing into this softly as the EP hits hard from
the outset with Full Spectrum Dominance.
This one is a full on showcase for Oldboy’s lyrical content and flow. Add to
that the heavy pounding beat and the swift polished cuts and this one is music
waltzer ride. If your heads still spinning after that then Graphic Violins will help steady your nerves. Still banging, the
beat has those heavy violins backing it and a sprinkling of def cuts and
features Ken Masters alongside Oldboy on a track, that for me at least, really
touched on how some people see hip hop right now but, the truth is that Hip Hop
is and never did Die, it simply went back to its roots in the underground. Butane hits and as the title suggests,
this one is fire and keeps you nodding you head as you listen to the lyrics
that are just a bit deeper than you might first think and show the wealth of
knowledge that Oldboy brings. Book of
Dust literally flows into your ears with some light-hearted keys that
underpin the head nod beat. This one features Joker Starr and Junior Disprol
and displays some true quality lyrically whilst still heavy on the knowledge
and consciousness. It takes us to the halfway point of the EP with a true sense
of the energy that has gone into this.
The second half of the EP kicks off with Blast Off which brings an mix of
Ufological knowledge and other vibes which detail Oldboy’s view of what goes on
around him and his interests and just how he can drop that knowledge whist
still entertaining you. The beat remains heavy with a deep orchestral note that
gives it that conscious feeling. Game
Over hits with rapid cuts and a piano heavy beat and here Oldboy displays
his masterful use of lyrics and rhyme flow with an almost battle rap, you can’t
fuck with this, kinda feel. On The
Godfather Oldboy weaves his homage to the inspirational figure of James
Brown, his history and what his music meant to so many. The beat has that deep
funky feel and is really capped off by the pure dopeness of Jabbathakut’s turntable
skills. The last track of the EP really has a deep knowledge edge to it as
Oldboy explores the Sanskrit Vimanas, described in the Vedic Sanskrit texts of
India many researchers believe that these were a form of flying vehicle or even
space craft. Believe it or not it does take away from the track. The beat has a
real etheric flow of strings that carry you on a deep journey into a
controversial subject and then, ultimately, carry you out of the EP.
Overall and at eight tracks deep this EP is not far off the
running time of some albums. Oldboy takes you deep into his skills as an Emcee
whilst mixing in many of the subjects that interest him and the more you listen
and really feel some of the lyrics, the more you get from the experience. There
is just the right mix of deep conscious subject matter, a splattering of what’s
going on in the world around us and just enough good old dexterous lyrical
rhyming.
Now, it’s true, that some of the subject matter might not be
for everyone but, that will not take away from just how enjoyable this EP is.
Lyrically it stands with the best of them Oldboy and the guest artists all
display talent that shows they are at the top of their game. Production is
totally on point here and displays exactly why Micall Parknsun is so highly
respected as an artist. Add to that the flawless turntable skills of
Jabbathakut and you have a release that, start to finish, is highly listenable
and will not have you skipping tracks regardless of where you are listening.
For me it was pure listening pleasure and I highly recommend
you grab this one. It is definitely one of those occasions where you can feel
the energy and dedication that has gone into making this release.
As I said earlier, as I have done in the past, I sent Oldboy
a few questions to allow everyone out there to get to know him a bit more and
to get a sense of what makes him tick. So, let’s get into this micro interview
and see what he had to say...
First up I wanna thank you for taking the time to answer these
questions. It’s been a while since I have done one of these mini interviews in
conjunction with a review but, I really enjoy doing these and giving the
readers a bit of an insight into the artist, a bit deeper that my reviews go
so, really appreciate your time. I’ll keep it short and hopefully not too
taking...
1: For anyone out there who doesn’t know, could you give us a bit
of an insight into who Oldboy is and perhaps a bit of your background in Hip
Hop music?
Well, I’ve
been a fan of Hip Hop music for 30 years, and have been attempting to make music
since I discovered the genre. I first began to take it more seriously in the
late nineties when I was in a group called Natural Gift with another
emcee/producer, who, is now known as Sub-P. He really inspired me to step up my
game both lyrically and musically as he was incredibly talented in both fields
and encouraged me to think outside the box in terms of subject matter and
digging for breaks. Since then I was actively involved in the scene in
Newcastle Upon Tyne, basically anywhere there was a microphone I grabbed it. I
took a break from making music in about 2007 as I was really struggling with my
mental health and returned reborn as Oldboy 6 years later and started releasing
stuff online.
2: I have been back over some of your previous releases and looked
at the visuals you use and titles of your releases and tracks. There appears to
be a deep inspiration to a lot these and the use of subjects others find
esoteric like ET’s and UFO’s (subjects I have studied for years). What more can
tell us of the subjects and events inspire your work?
I’ve
always been interested in UFO’s as long as I can remember; I think it stems
from a desire to know there’s something else out there in the void of space. I
suppose it runs alongside so called conspiracy theories which also spark my
interest…the writings of David Icke, Michael Tsarion and also Dr Steven Greer has
had an impact on my subject matter. I think there’s a lot more to life and the
human experience than what were led to believe.
I grew up with films like Star Wars, E.T. and Close encounters and
cinema also influences my music.
I was
diagnosed with Schizophrenia 12 years ago and I think the condition gives me a
unique outlook on life.
3: Having looked back at your other releases, I also noted some of
the collaborations you have done across the years, the likes of Jabbathakut, DJ
Jaffa, Micall Parknsun, Junior Disprol, Scorzayzee, One OZ and Joker Starr.
What is it like to work alongside these other artists and how do you decide who
you want to work with?
First I
would say it’s an honour to work with the artists you mentioned, as I consider
myself a fan of them all. All of the collaborations have been done via the
internet and without social media they would not have been possible. Artists
like Junior Disp , Scorz and Micall Parknsun are at the top of their game and I
have to pinch myself sometimes to realise were on the same track. Joker Starr I
have known for ages, I consider him family so it makes sense to me to
collaborate. But anybody who’s dope I’m up for working with!
4: Talking of Inspirations and other artists, over the years what
other Artists have inspired your work, Regardless of the musical genre?
Again, Hip
hop wise pretty much all of the UK artists have inspired me at some point, From
realising I could maybe make hip hop through Blade, Hardnoise, Gunshot and all
those early britcore artists to the newer guard like Task Force and Phi Life
Cipher. I was always attempting a uniquely British take on the music I heard
coming from America and everyone from Premo to J-zone inspires my beat making.
Outside of hip hop I Love stuff like Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Bill Withers,
Nirvana, Portishead, The Beatles to Michael Jackson. I’ve got a wide range of
music that covers every genre and I believe in not limiting yourself to one
type of music.
5: Looking to the future a bit now. You call yourself an ageing
emcee and beat maker but, regardless of that you have been pretty prolific of
the years I guess there is still more to come from Oldboy?
Making
music is cathartic for me; it’s the best therapy you can get. I’m always
striving to make the perfect project, and I don’t think I’m there yet! So as
long as I’m inspired and my personal form of madness doesn’t get in the way I’ll
continue to make music. I used to worry I was getting too old and rapping was a
youngsters game, but now I look at the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Blondie still
doing their thing and think ‘Fuck it, I’ll be the old person trying to spit.’
6: Speaking of more to come, are there any artists out there you
would really like to work with on upcoming projects. Be they emcee’s, DJs,
singers or musicians?
There’s a
few people I would love to work with. Blade springs to mind first, as does
Curoc from Son Of noise. Geoff Barrow and Beth Gibbons that would be a dream
come true. I would love to work with Jehst and Burgundy Blood as well. And what
emcee wouldn’t want to flow on a Premier beat?
7: One last one. You obviously enjoy making beats and rhyming. How
does it feel, as an artist, to know how much others enjoy your music and also
how much they might feel the essence of what you put across in an individual
track...?
I’m
eternally grateful to anyone who takes the time to listen to even one of my
tracks, so to think I have in some way impacted their live for those three
minutes or made their day a little more bearable is the biggest form of payback
for all the blood sweat and tears I pour into making my music.
So, huge respect for giving us your time to answer these few
questions and giving us a little more of an insight into Oldboy and what makes
you tick. Before we sign off I just want to give you the opportunity to shout
out or thank anyone. So, if you’d like you it’s over to you...
Thanks,
I’d like to shout out Sub-P and DJ Pskillz, all the Newcastle heads like Stu
the don, Gilly Man, Rick Fury and Stig….and anyone who digs what I do or is
trying to make music, and all my good friends, they know who they are! Salute!
And you man, thanks for the wicked questions. Peace.
So, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed that little
insight into Oldboy.
Check the link below and head over to his Bandcamp page a
grab a copy of Wake The Dead EP. In fact don’t stop there, he has plenty of
other releases to grab some are free to download so go and enjoy the music from
Oldboy.
I’m out, Peace...
Steve
Buy Wake the dead HERE: https://oldboyhiphop.bandcamp.com/album/wake-the-dead
