From Darkness to Light
By
Damaged Goodz
EP Review
From Darkmess to Light is the latest EP offering from Scottish emcee and long-time Hip Hop stalwart Damaged Goodz.
Now this guy has been in the game for more than 25 years and, in that time, has accomplished what many only dream about, from being a battle emcee for Jump Off to performing live sessions for the likes of XFM and BBC. He has played legendary venues such as Brixton Academy, Glasgow Garage, Barrowlands and has supported such names as Xibit, Grandmaster Flash and Task Force. Not only that but, for two years he ran the successful Church Street Hip Hop might in Inverness where he hosted the cream of Scottish Hip Hop.
For this latest offering, the theme here is to take you on a trip from some the darkest periods in his life to some of the brightest over 6 songs full of unflinching truth with all his demons put on a table and set about with a sharp axe up to the turning points of positivity the later the EP goes. With a bold statement like that you get the notion that this is gonna be some ride.
Let me take you straight into this and see just where the EP takes us:
From Darkness to Light kicks off with the heavy banger Welcome Home 99. This funk fuelled track, with more than a sprinkling of dope cuts, hits hard straight out the gate slapping you with a mind bending statement on some of the places he’s been, what he’s been through and why he is here. The darker themed part of the EP continues with F-T-L-O-Y (Fuck The Lot Of You). The track is heavy and pounding track is almost like musical migraine as we are taken through some of the more negative experiences in his life and the fact you simply can’t trust some friends as they are only a friend while it suits them.
As the vibe of the EP progresses through these dark episodes Rabbit in the Headlights for eerie bells that underpin the track provide the perfect sound scape as Damaged Goodz takes us through some of the personal internal struggles he faced, something the title perfectly reflects. As the EP reaches the halfway point, the transformation from darkness to light is about to begin with the aptly titled, The Leaves Turn Green. The beat and the vibe of the track are somewhere slap bang between the dark and the light which is exactly what this track is exploring, the transformation between states of mind and here the calmness is brought by the stunning vocals of Mark Ann Kennedy on the chorus.
As we move into the penultimate track and the single lifted from the EP, In the Presence of Greatness, that transformation is almost complete. The track is given an uplifting vibe with the use of some classical strings and the heavenly voice of Mary Ann Kennedy as Damaged Goodz explores the emotional journey of brining a new life into the world and the effect it has on people and the changes it can bring. The final track is Torch Bearer a pounding beat with an electronic vibe and a huge orchestral explosion on the chorus. The track brings the eternal struggle between light and darkness to your awareness and really shows that it is how you deal with things and, internally, which wolf you feed that will ultimately dictate the outcome.
Releases that have such a deeply personal note, always have a deeper dimension that brings an almost unconscious awareness of how your own experiences may mirror what you hear and this is something that I very much enjoy hearing. It shows the true power of music to be able to both entertain and move you on a personal level.
From Darkness to Light really shows that Damaged Goodz has achieved an almost perfect balance of personal input with entertainment value. The mix of his story telling, and verbal dexterity goes hand in hand with Nity Gritz production and DJ Zeeny on the cuts. When you add the beautiful vocals of Mary Ann Kennedy into the pot it just all adds up to a damn near perfect recipe which, layer by layer, produces a fine piece of boom bap Hip Hop for your aural consumption.
This is also one of those releases that will stand the test of time. The subject matter Damaged Goodz relates here are the types of things that people will always struggle with and something anyone can relate to at any time. There is something about that raw gritty feel of the EP that the younger generation growing up now will relate to at some time and it is important that they know they are not alone and that there are others who have been there and understand where they are coming from.
From Darkness to Light was released on 8th August on all platforms by Watercolour Music and will be followed on 11 September by the next release The Patter Merchant EP.
Check Damaged Goodz on Bandcamp HERE: https://damaged-goodz.bandcamp.com/releases
Watercolour Music Website HERE: http://www.watercolourmusic.co.uk/
On that note, I’m out,
Peace.
Steve
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