Original Breaks to B-Lines
By
Whirlwind D
Album Review
Every one of us are on a journey in many aspects of our lives. That’s multiple journeys each and every day of our lives and not just those we take in a car, on a bike, on the bus or train but, also in how we live our lives. We journey through our careers, our interests, hobbies, marriage and so on.
One of the most enjoyable journeys we can take is through entertainment be it a movie, theatre, or music. Now not every song, album or so on is going to take you on a ride but, a great many will and those pieces of music are the ones that become special.
Artists enjoy creating music for your pleasure and their own, and once in a while an artist will create something that is enjoyable to listen to but, may have an even deeper meaning for themselves. So, when an artist like Whirlwind D drops a new project which he describes as being very personal to him, you can bet your life this is going to be something to really listen to.
Original Breaks to B-Lines is a journey that will take the listener from his Solid N Mind (Liberty Grooves) years to the more recent B-Line Recordings releases but, not just that, the release contains a host of New music, remixes and demos that really bring the whole thing to life.
So, before I say anymore let’s take that trip with Whirlwind D…
Our journey begins with a snippet of How I Get Ill recorded live at the O2 Bournemouth when the B-Line Crew supported the one and only Public Enemy. This is such a great way to begin by immersing us in the energy of the live music experience and anyone who attended a Hip Hop gig will know the energy and vibe of those moments and this brings that beat back for sure. How I Get Ill is also the track that kicked off D’s debut album on B-Line, 2014’s Nomansland. Keeping the energy high we roll full on into Solid N Mind days with Battle Tipped Rhyme which sees D dropping the battle style rhyme style and hitting it hard with some slick flows and on point lyrical content over that kinda raw hard Hip Hop sound that has everyone jumping. Production is by Johnny F with cuts by The Assembly Worker. From there we slide into Solid N Mind’s Centre Stage which sees Johnny F on production and cuts again providing that heavy pounding beat with some rough chiselled cuts, and over this Whirlwind D matches that heaviness beat for beat and word for word. Overall Centre Stage really conjures up that feeling of the group being on stage and commanding the attention of the audience.
Next we move into some of D’s Demo tracks and, up first is Butta Funk (Pt 2) Demo, this one sees D taking that 7 minutes of funk track and giving us some of the highs and lows of relationships. The deep funk of this really works with the subject matter and helps you feel what D is putting across. Son’s Rise Demo sees D joining with Welsh producer Sweetman and DJ Nice One of Mortal Danger on a track with a darker vibe. The beat is more simplistic with some ethereal strings on the chorus and some rough nerve shredding cuts at the end but, what you do get here is a very real sense for the deep realness that is so often a factor in D’s work. That feel for a deep connection to what is going on in society can be felt in this early Brainwash Demo from the Solid ‘n’ Mind days. Johnny F’s use of Big Beat really provides the perfect platform for Whirlwind D to drop some masterful lines about some of the big issues of the time. Personally, I’d love to see this one resurrected and given the state of the world today it would be interesting to see what D would do. Final track of this first part of our journey through D’s early years is the Carpathian Dreams Demo which brings us more up to date to 2010 and a track that sadly did not make it on to the WD40 EP. With D working alongside Steve ‘Waxer’, this is a track with a chilled out feel but a deep message that seems to speak of the struggles of the mind and this track really spoke to me, something I have found with a lot of the work D produces.
We flip into part two of this immense journey and step from the original breaks into the B-Lines and we start with a track taken from the Nomansland LP and reworked from Strong which featured on the WD40 EP, Stronger is produced by Waxer, rearranged and mixed by The Assembly Worker with cuts from Theory 77 and to give it that extra dimension it features B-Line label mates Chrome & Illinspired. This one is all about the music and is about everything you want from a Hip Hop track. The beat is pounding and laced with some deep floating orchestral flavour, more than a sprinkling of sweet cuts and those three emcees who you just can’t better on a track. Interesting fact here as well, not sure if this was intentional, Stronger also kicked off the B side of the Nomansland LP. Next up is a track from the Beats, Bits & Bobs EP from 2018, produced by super producer Djar One and featuring cuts by Specifik. In my original review of this EP I described Labels as ‘A Journey in itself’ and I stand by that. Now this might have been about D’s experiences but, this track took me back to my early days in Hip Hop, digging in record shops in Southampton, Portsmouth or a trip to London to check out Carnaby Street, Mr Bongos and 4 Star General and so on. You could even say this is like an anthem for all of us who grew up with Hip Hop in the 80’s and to those who didn’t, it’s like a window to the past. There is nothing more you want from a track; this one just covers it all. Sometimes not all remixes ever see a release but, are often used during live shows, which really hypes the audience and once such is this B-Line Business Remix, the original version is from D’s second B-Line Recording’s LP, Other Side. A high-paced funky beat from Specifik and featuring cuts by Jabbathakut, you can understand why this one became a staple in the live shows as it has that energy and vibe which really can get the crowd moving. While we are on the subject of remixes, one of D’s more recent releases Doin’ It gets the remix treatment from Beattrix as Doin’ It Again. If you liked the original, then you are gonna love this funky reworking and I challenge you not to move your head to this one - it’s got summer vibes written all over it…
No album like this, on such a journey, would be complete without a little digging in the vaults for some exclusives and Whirlwind D does not disappoint. Here we have Written in Pen a track produced by Specifik and featuring cuts from the great Jabbathakut. This jazz-fueled track has D telling the story of the B-Line Recordings label. This is one where you can really sit back, close your eyes and feel the history floating through your awareness. Another exclusive on the album is Creature, a track which sees D using metaphoric visions to look at the how right-wing politics has risen in this country while the views of the many are suppressed. Production on this one comes from Crease who crafts the perfect audible vison for D’s subject matter, not too dark but, with the right amount of atmosphere.
The album ends with Falling Down from a superb 2017 EP Falling. Back in 2017 that EP, for me, was dark, emotional but, finely crafted looking at issues of mental health and the harsh realities of life and Falling Down with its dark monotonic beat from Specifik and the melodic cuts from Jabbathakut sees D crafting a stark picture of life, the challenges we face and how we deal with them. A life changing event of any description can have deep effect on how we then view and walk our journey through life and that is such a thought-provoking way to end this album, this journey. As one journey ends, another begins, where will yours take you…
As we mature and look back at life we see so much of what has gone before. Good times and bad, the changes we have made and seen along the way and what I see in the album is a vison of change and maturity.
The album shows Whirlwind D’s musical journey from his early years with the energy and desire to push forward and make something of himself from a love of the music and the culture of Hip Hop. Then through years of change, still writing but, not recording. Enjoying life and music, still with that seed of the words inside him just waiting for the right moment. When that moment came, we can see how he has brought life’s experiences to his craft. Sometimes enjoying the fun and energy of the music and the culture and bringing that facet to the front, while at other times looking at the injustices, pain and suffering in the world and expertly bringing that aspect to his music.
There is so much more here than just the music. This album encompasses a wealth of life experiences, as an individual, with friends and with family. As you listen to the album, perhaps just take some time to really feel it, read the notes as you listen, read between those lines and listen beyond the music and the lyrics. When you do that you can really begin to understand and grasp what Whirlwind D has done with this album and across his career to date and I don’t doubt there is much more to come. For me, personally, it is his ability as an emcee to capture the moment that makes him one of my top UK emcees. I just feel he has such a down to earth way of writing that allows every word to be heard and understood and the depth of feeling he puts into his lyrics for me puts him shoulder to shoulder with the best of them. When you put that together with Specifik and the B-Line crew, there is just a chemistry there and that chemistry is set to keep these guys going for a long time, mark my words…
The more you listen to this the more you get a sense for the evolution of Whirlwind D’s music and chemistry that really works so well with the producers he has and continues to work with. From Johnny F through to Specifik, Crease and Djar One, everything seems to click resulting in releasing music of such a high quality and depth.
The other thing to understand here is that Whirlwind D’s music can be listened to by anyone. You can safely play this to your kids or anyone for them to enjoy and sometimes there is a deep advantage to be able to put your point across without the need to swear. Just think about that too…
As always, the album is a fantastic package. It is released by Britcore Rawmance Burning Anger Records and is a collaboration by B-Line/ Liberty Grooves and Tru-Tone Productions. Executive Production comes from Whirlwind D and Todhart. Design and Artwork from the one and only Mr. Tibbz and last but, by no means least mastering is by the legendary Rola @ Khameleon 107, Bristol.
There will be a limited run of 100 White & 100 Black vinyl so, get in there quick on this one.
I'll drop some links once the album goes live.
The lead single Doin' It Again is available now and you can catch the video below, if you've not seen it already.
Peace Out,
Steve
Doin' It Again - Official Video
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