“The
Year After”
Configa
Introducing DJ Views
Configa has to be one of THE go-to
producers in Hip-Hop right now. His work on Arrested Development’s latest album
Don’t Fight Your Demons and his own recent Configa Presents: The ConfigHasCrates has shown the quality and diversity of the work he is known for. Tracks
from these albums have received some seriously heavy rotation and recognition
as you might expect.
Our first sniff that he was dropping
something else came in February this year when the Topic Of Discussion EP
dropped which featured vocals from Ruste Juxx. This was the teaser to the
forthcoming Configa Introducing DJ Views Album which finally dropped at the end
of April and is titled The Year After. Now most of you will be familiar
with Configa and his work but you are probably unfamiliar with DJ Views, hence
why this album is Configa Introducing him.
DJ Views comes from Australia, a DJ of
22 years, he plays mostly Hip-Hop from the 80’s onwards. More recently he began
producing beats using an Akai MPC-1 and Serato, then dropping a number of mixes
and has emerged from relative obscurity to collaborate with the likes of Ruste
Juxx, El Da Sensei and Sadat X to name just a few. In the six months prior to
the release of the album he worked closely alongside Configa and with the help
of some huge, featured artists has brought us The Year After, and let’s
face it, after the year we’ve just had music is the antidote to most things.
That all being said, let’s step into The
Year After and see what it brings…
Dj Views is straight in at the deep end
as he steps up with a huge soundtrack vibe consisting of cuts, keys, strings,
movie dialogue and a proper head-nod beat. Featuring Termanology and the
Apostles of Rhyme (Configa’s signed artists DA Donnieboy, Fro Magnum Man and
Mic Audio), Mic Domination is all about the relationship of an emcee to
his mic. Every emcee does their best to dominate when on the mic and with a
host of similes, metaphors and impressive wordplay, this track displays that
sentiment admirably. Configa is next up bringing a mix of piano, soulful vocals
and a booming beat that surrounds you and demands your full attention. Now
you’re focused, up steps Planet Asia, Pacewon and NINE to drop some heavy,
hard-edged stories of the brutal truth of life on the streets where it’s Dangerous
On The Ave.
The ball passes back to DJ Views who
brings us an upbeat vibe full of cuts, drums, and guitar loops. Ruste Juxx
features and takes us on a journey from the streets to the stage, where
everything is high octane, gritty and most definitely On The Dot and
will have you throwing your hands in the air. With the ball back in his court,
Configa follows up with a laid-back beat which is full of horns and xylophone
notes, alongside a soulful chorus. He enlists the help of Kxng Crooked, Speech
(Arrested Development) and Sulpacio Jones to drop some knowledge on supporting
those who are striving to make a name for themselves despite adversity, telling
the listener I Want U 2 Make It and giving something back with advice
and common sense.
The spotlight moves back to DJ Views
who takes us to the launch pad with a pounding beat and some spacey electronic
vibes. His cuts ignite the fuel, and we are blasted into orbit in the company
of Melly-Mel (South Africa), Confucious, HaStyle and DA Donnieboy. With some
impressive wordplay and Galactic Rap, the hyperdrive is engaged and we
are launched into deep space and beyond to the astral plane, before landing
back on Earth. As the focus shifts back to Configa, he is joined by Chino XL.
The organ intro heralds a darker vibe which is mixed with more organ notes,
vocals and a delicious head-nod beat which sets it up perfectly for Chino XL to
deliver bars like a rapping AA-12 shotgun on full auto with a drum mag as he
pounds your ears and leaves all suckers receiving a Funeral March.
Hip-Hop is an international scene and
DJ Views, with the legendary Craig G, hits us with some boom-bap drums, cuts, strings,
and big orchestral vibes creating the perfect scene for Craig G to drop some
knowledge and to speak on the greatness he is crafting with DJ Views across Different
Timezones. With there being so many aspects to Hip-Hop it’s back to Configa
to bring some organ notes to a laid-back beat which creates a chilled vibe that
is just right for Ras Kass, Melly-Mel and Akrobatik to drop some different
views and experiences on what it is to Live Comfortably.
For our penultimate track from DJ Views
he hits us with a multi-layered boom-bap beat with cuts, violins, drums and
cymbals, which brings a focused edge to the track. That leads us to pay attention
to El Da Sensei, John Robinson and Solemn Brigham, emcees doing what they do
best, dropping bars and displaying an uncanny knack for Word Science,
using all they have in their arsenal from words to personal experience and
flipping similes and metaphors. The penultimate visit from Configa is a
head-nod beat that mixes in some synth, which has a harpsichord sound. There
are cuts along with a sung vocal sample in the chorus which creates a
thoughtful vibe which sees 4-IZE, Jarmel Reece and Sky High 305, speak on the
daily struggles in life, the kind of struggles that mess with your mind and
mental health and sometimes sees you Slippin’.
The final track from DJ Views was the
track that gave everyone a taster of what was to come, Topic Of Discussion.
A heavy boom bap beat with layers of cuts, violin, and piano notes (which
lighten the tone at times). Ruste Juxx features here and breaks it down on who
he is, his experiences and the fact it’s all about the realness, no playin’.
Configa rounds the album off with his take on the track that kicked it all off
but with a twist. This Mic Domination Remix has a heavy piano vibe
alongside some booming head-nod drums and gritty bass notes. The message is the
same as the original, being the relationship between an emcee and his mic but,
as the piano hauntingly tweaks at your nerves, Configa also mixes up the vocals
as he brings in Smoke Gzus, Dell-P and the UK’s own Ken Masters to accompany
Termanology and take this one to a whole new dimension.
Now, many will look at the line-up of
guest features and immediately get hyped and admittedly those features are
enough to make ANY Hip-Hop lover sit up and take note but, as a great album is
not made by features alone, it is the depth and quality of the production which
holds it all together and solidifies this project as a whole. Configa has
created a superb platform here for an upcoming DJ/Producer, in DJ Views, to
display exactly why Configa has put his trust in him in the first place. The
way the album switches, track to track, between Configa and DJ Views, is a
great vibe and allows for a perfect flow to the album. In fact, it’s like
having two rollercoasters running parallel to each other and the listener is
constantly switched from track to track, each complementing the other perfectly
whilst having just enough subtle differences to keep things flowing and always
keeping you guessing in exactly what to expect. The addition of the emcees
brings additional twists and turns on our ride with every one of them, from the
legendary figures to those less well known, all displaying the kind of lyrical
prowess that shows exactly why they are here presented to us on this album.
This is some introduction to DJ Views
who proves, without doubt, that he is capable of sitting alongside an acclaimed
producer such as Configa and being able to take the reins that are passed to
him and to keep the stage bouncing and on course for a whole new world of
Hip-Hop possibilities. Configa demonstrates exactly WHY he is such a powerhouse
in Hip-Hop production, creating soundscapes that excite the mind and body,
while DJ Views shows us that not only does he know his Hip-Hop but that he is
more than able to put that to good use in getting your heart and fist pumping
and body moving.
Overall, this one is going to receive
heavy rotation, no doubts, and deserves to be in your collection too. With every
track keeping the listener pumped up for more, The Year After is truly
an international slice of Hip-Hop GOLD, a rock-solid album that has a foot in
both hemispheres of the globe and adds further weight to the fact that Hip-Hop
music is universal and able to touch and unite all.
Configa Introducing DJ Views – The
Year After is out now on Configa’s own imprint Configaration Records.
As for time, it’s time for me to be
out,
Peace,
Steve.
LINKS
Get the Album on Bandcamp Here:
https://configa.bandcamp.com/album/the-year-after-lp
Configaration Records on Bandcamp (links to social media):
https://configaration.bandcamp.com/
Configa on Bandcamp (links to social media):
DJ Views on Bandcamp (links to social media):
https://djviews1.bandcamp.com/
VIDEOS
On The Dot ft Ruste Juxx
Topic of Discussion ft Ruste Juxx (Configa Remix)
No comments:
Post a Comment