Black Magic
& Horns
By
Wounded Buffalo
Beats
I was contacted by Wounded Buffalo Beats (aka Michael Jonas)
who asked if he could send me a copy of his new album Black Magic & Horns for
review following a recommendation from one Montener The Menace. WBB produced
the track High Noon for Montener’s upcoming album Anyone Home, which also
features on this album too. I’ll drop a link to the video for High Noon below.
Now you may or may or may not have heard of Wounded Buffalo
Beats But, this UK producer has been making waves for over ten years now and
some unreleased material has been resurrected for this album which he has
produced, mixed, and arranged himself.
So, what I’m gonna do here is let the album speak for itself
through my thoughts…
Kicking off with the title track Black Magic & Horns
we immediately get a feel for what is to come, pounding drums, violins and a
host of Horror movie samples provide a dark but, exciting back drop for Jus
Allah, Controverse and Mayz to reach into the depths of your soul and search
for your innermost fears. That dark brooding atmosphere continues to hang over
you as eerie vocals, heavy beats and guitar vibes see you dropped, all alone,
into the dark streets as Mayz and Buddahmann drag you deep into the gutter
where the Bundles of Filth live.
You stumble from the shadows and filth hangs from your
clothes, wondering if there is any salvation, your ears are pounded by drums
and you nerves eased by some sparse piano and choral voices. Some say only god
has the power to drive out the darkness but, here Pacewon, Mayz and Controverse
mix up the pace and show us how there is Strains Of God in us all and
that we often use it to differing ends but, ultimately we have the power to
drive out the darkness. There is truth that the streets have a dark side and
now with you Thoughts Forming the beats start hitting like hammer blows
over guitar and piano vibes with a good dusting of cuts and El Da Sensei brings
that bleak street life into focus and the stark reality of what you have to do
to survive.
Street life is part of a greater struggle the world over.
Here piano and a heavy beat are the platform for Wordsworth and the legendary
Craig G to bring a thought provoking look at such subjects as Racism, Police
Violence and hate crimes. It seems that the streets of the world’s cities are
indeed The Battlefield but, it is important to realise that there is a
solution and that solution is love, turn from hate to love and that can change
the world. The modern streets are not so different from the dust streets of
Americas wild west and that comes across in a posse cut that could just stand
as a symphony for a new era. This is straight up head nod and sees the dark
figures Masta Ace, Montener The Menace, Rah Digga, Wordsworth and Fatlip step
from the sandstorm at High Noon and enter town to prove that not all
outlaws are on the wrong side of the law but, make no mistake, don’t cross
these five mic slingers or ya gonna be pushing up daisies in boot hill ya feel…
The drums, violin, and cuts of Tributary Flow tug at
your nerves as Rick Mal steps up to the mic noting that music is like the
tributary of rivers or the side roads that feed the main roads, as the smaller
rawer sound hits the mainstream, it becomes more watered down and loses its
potency. It is important not to lose that control you have of the potency of
your sound. Times like these has an etheric quality from the violin that
under pins the head nod beat. Noram speaks on what it is to live in these crazy
times that just want to see us held back but, we all pray, in our own way, to
get through to see a brighter day.
The Vault is one of those tracks with vocal recorded
a decade ago with Mayz, JL Trafik and RickMal. The heavy drums and guitar give
this one that mariachi story telling vibe. The scene here is looking at the
struggles of oppression, daily life, and music. No strength has been lost in
bringing these from the vault and the messages here and the fact that the
enjoyment of music is a healing force is just as relevant now. The album ends
with Wordsworth taking a look back at the Lockdown 2020. The beat is
heavy with some flute/pipe that has your awareness floating as this deep
experience of being locked down for most of 2020 is something we can all
associate with. As the pandemic still holds the world hostage, there is a way
out of this situation we just have to decide if that is a natural way or with a
pill or vaccine injection…
There is little doubt in my mind that this album could stand
on its own even as an instrumental album. The stark sound produces some
stunning soundscapes to allow you mind to wander to wherever it needs to go.
Now, if that was not credit enough to Wounded Buffalo Beats, when you add in
the eclectic mix of legendary and well-known emcees alongside some up coming
names and this one has that perfect balance between the vocals and the music
which creates this unapologetic narrative of the stark reality of life on the
streets of cities, villages, and towns the world over. But there is a flipside
to that in that with all the darkness the album also provides the much needed
look into the light and brighter outcomes that are so desperately needed and a
huge one is that music itself is such a powerful force.
I enjoyed the balance of fact and fiction and the shear
entertainment value this provides. A great ride from start to finish that will
have you not wanting to turn this one off. Wounded Buffalo Beats production is
a pleasure to behold, and this album deserves far more coverage that I have
seen to date. You might think it takes Black Magic to create something so on
point but, what I see is not black magic but, a sincere dedication to good
music and a desire to craft something that is listening perfection.
This one is most definitely one you need for your
collection. There is absolutely nothing here not to like. You have ten high
quality tracks that display exactly why Hip Hop is such a powerful force in
music. I don’t like picking stand out tracks or anything, which is why you
don’t single out a particular emcee and so on as this is about the album as a
whole and not one particular person But, High Noon is the icing on the cake
here, masterful.
Black Magic & Horns is out now on all the usual
streaming sites and there might even be a few physical copies still about and
if so, I advise you to grab one…
Black Magic and Horns is available on all the usual streaming platforms.
Also, if you want to grab one of the limited number of remaining physical CD's then DM WBB via his Instagram profile, Link Below.
So, enjoy cos I’m out,
Steve
LINKS and VIDEOS
Wounded Buffalo Beats on Instagram Here:
https://www.instagram.com/wounded_buffalo_beats/
Click this link for all the Wounded Buffalo Beats Videos on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxIdChXuOz5oKrNlyf_12Lw
High Noon Official Video
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