Bomberman
By
MC Oliver Twist
It has been a crazy road to this debut album for MC Oliver
Twist who has battled more than his fair share of demons along the way but,
that road has led him to become a stronger person and one who can finally
realise a dream in releasing an LP to the masses. That long road to recovery
and ultimately finding solace in the company of God, will surely impact the
vibe and power of the words he delivers here on Bomberman.
It's been a while since I last featured MC Oliver Twist here
on the blog, that was way back in April of 2021 with the release of MC Oliver
Twist Meets Pandamonium. That release featured a Pandamonium remix of Fly
Antics (Link Below), which features on this very album. Now that remix featured cuts by the
one and only Jabbathakut who is one of a host of guest artists to feature and
drop production on Bomberman, which also includes DJar One, Renee Soul, Prince
Po (Organized Konfusion), Chrome (Def Tex, Chrome+), Dee Jay Random & DJ
Chud (The Steel Devils), Junior Disprol, Mista Bohze, DJ Krash Slaughta, Franky
Roar, Chris Warner, Nay Loco (Local Healers), ES, Loop Skywalker, Dirty Joe,
Kit Glover, Aspect 852, DJ Miracle, DJ Pandamonium, Specifik, Chat One, Jeye
Servere and DJ Demon. With a line-up like that alongside Mr Twist and the fact
this album is getting a release on one of the UK’s premier Hip Hop Labels,
B-Line Recordings, and with artwork from the legendary John Dyer. Bomberman looks
likely to be one of the standout releases of 2023 and it’s been a long time
coming too…
Move Smooth kicks off the album with a jazzy beat
full of drums, horns, and double bass from DJar One, who also gets busy on the
cuts here too, who has you grinning and bouncing around from the get-go. The
vibe is pure upbeat feel-good fun as MC Oliver Twist shows what his lyrical
prowess is all about, and that’s having fun on this one flipping the similes
and metaphors and rhyming about whatever comes to mind. Next up is Fly
Antics which see’s Jabbathakut on production and cuts. This one is heavy on
the drums with vocal samples creating this slick head nod sound with some
classic samples cut up on the bridge. Here we find Mr Twist guiding us on a
brief trip through some of the key experiences of his life and look at some of
what he’s been up to more recently. This is just a look at some of what makes
MC Oliver Twist the man and the emcee. Jazzy piano vibes, heavy drums and a
hint of horns from Frank Roar which keeps you bouncing in ya seat, or wherever you’re
listening to Still Got You; Renee Soul provides an upbeat soulful chorus
as Mr Twist takes us down memory lane to his early days, breaking it down about
some of the experiences and people that inspired and shaped him on his journey
into Hip Hop and picking up the mic.
Forever brings heavy drums alongside guitar and keys
and vocal samples on the bridge as Chris Warner brings a more soulful vibe with
Specifik providing the cuts. Here we find Oliver Twist reflecting on his
journey through the early days of UK Hip Hop, breaking down more truths about
what was going on around him at the time. DJar One is back on production and
cuts for The Truth Is, giving us drums and vocal samples bringing an
etheric and emotive quality to the sound. Here Twist takes us into a deeper
vibe as he looks at what’s going on in the world around us and the affect that
has on all of us, the struggles we all experience and how those struggles can
so often affect our mental health. There is no quick answer to all this but, it
starts with looking after you and progresses to the community around you before
progressing beyond. Next up is the album’s title track, Bomberman, which
features Prince Po and Chrome with DeeJay Random on the cuts and production
from Frank Roar. Banging drums, bass, guitar give this one a solid boom bap
sound that will have you bouncin’ off the floor with the volume up a few
notches. This one is all about three emcee’s lighting the touchpaper on the mic
and letting the words explode in your eardrums. It’s really that simple this
one is as volatile as nitro-glycerine, you’ve been warned, turn this up too
loud and you’re likely to cause maximum chaos.
Halfway through the album and the adrenaline levels are
already at their peak and you’re hooked, ready for what’s next, which see’s Mr
Twist joined by Junior Disprol and Mista Bohze, Krash Slaughta on the cut. DJar
One is on production, dropping a double bass heavy jazzed upbeat that has you
movin’ and groovin’ to the sound. This one is all about having fun at live shows
and setting the stage alight with slick verbal wordplay while switching up the
flows and whipping the crown into a frenzy while Rippin’ Up Shows. Feeding
off the pure adrenaline it’s time to switch into Battle Mode with Nay
Loco and ES joining Mr Twist on vocal duties, Loop Skywalker on the cut and
Pandamonium on the beats. The guitar heavy sound with the drums and horns hits your
awareness creating this weird, almost disorienting effect which puts you into
this situation where vocals seem to be coming at you from all sides at once.
This is a one-sided battle right here with Twist, Loco and ES bombarding you
with intense verbal wordplay that leaves you comatose and unable to fight back.
Dirty Joe provides production on My Baby, a pounding sound that is straight
up head nod but, there are some keys on there too which give this deep edge. There
is also a deep edge to this track as Twist takes us through some of the hardest
times in his life, this culminated in a suicide attempt before he took time out
and found a shining light to guide him on. Through so much of his life he had
his baby with him. Now you might feel that this track describes his love for a child,
and I had that same thought but, to me there was something deeper. However,
Twist’s description of his suicide attempt was all I could think of and so I
got in touch will him and he pointed out the one thing I missed. The end of the
third verse references Coco, his beloved chocolate Labrador, who is the real
focus of this track and through all the struggles this track touches on, it is
the love between himself and his baby Coco that turns this track into something
beautiful that transcends music and even life. Coco may not have been
physically with him at such a dark time in his life but, it was Coco that
ultimately played a huge role in helping see that everything would be ok. There
is so much in this one track I could cover but it would take its own review…
We move into the final quarter of the album with the Long
Lastin’ produced The Joneses, a funk fuelled vibe with organ notes, sax,
and drums. This one see’s Twist looking at that peer pressure vibe created of
wanting to be like someone else, those others who have the latest phone, the
coolest trainers and all the banded gear. This who situation has been going on
for years, once it as all about clothes, TV’s or the like but, now people want
to physically like others. TV and branding is big business now constantly
bombarding us with celebs, sports personalities and more, all covered in
branding and all to male more and more money from those who really don’t have
it. The penultimate track is Flight Of The Phoenix, produced by Aspect
852 and featuring DJ Miracle on the cut. The guitar vibe on this has an almost
calming effect against the pounding of the drum beat and sharpness of the
scratches. At first this appears to be just MC Oliver Twist having fun with
sci-fi references but, perhaps there is something deeper here? Could this be a
metaphoric look at the way MC Oliver Twist, himself, has risen from the ashes
to become the phoenix and this album is the first flight or maybe this is just
a story from the mind of slick storyteller? The album ends with Paranoid and
Prang featuring Chat One (who also produces the track) and Jaye Servere
with cuts by DJ Demon. The sound is
heavy on the drum beat with an underlying orchestral, soundtrack vibe which just
elevates the sound. This one see’s us being taken into the mind of paranoid
individual who trust no one or nothing around them and is scared of most of
what they see around them, questioning everything and wondering who is
watching…
Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can
properly sum up what you just heard, and this is one of those times. I know it
has been one crazy road for MC Oliver Twist to finally get an album put
together (considering the track Bomberman started out as verse back in 2007)
but, what he has done with Bomberman is nothing short of incredible. As an
album this would be solid by anyone’s standards but, as a debut this one is
simply outstanding.
There is a depth to everything here that you can’t miss when
listening to it. MC Oliver Twist puts his heart and soul into this one and you
can feel that in every verse, every sentence, and every word. Bomberman has
everything you would want in a release, there is top notch production from top
to bottom across the album, there are cracking guest artists who all add extra
depth to the album but, what truly stands out here is MC Oliver Twist himself
who makes every word perfectly clear regardless of the flow or style he is
using. There are tracks which are strictly for the Hip Hop heads that display
straight up wordplay that brings a smile to your face and then there are
tracks, such as My Baby, that are emotive and uplifting. In fact, for me, My
Baby is one of the standout tracks I have heard this year, with its metaphoric
look at a beloved pet to the shear wealth of information packed into one track
and I wish I had the time to fully go into it, such as the influence of Prince
Po to the reconciliation with a childhood friend Daz.
For me, what MC Oliver Twist does with Bomberman are
two things that demonstrate the sheer power that music has; Firstly it shows
just how the listener can connect with emotions that the artist puts into the
music they produce and secondly, it display the deep connection some listeners
will get with the artist, and what I mean by that is the depth you can
interpret and then feel the messages and the stories within the tracks. When
you really take the time to listen intently to the words, every track can then
take on a whole different meaning for you, it takes beyond listening or reading
between the lines and places those emotive feelings directly into reality…
I have been lucky enough to chat to MC Oliver Twist on a number
of occasions and to see him perform live at Rope-A-Dope in Bristol in 2021.
This is a guy who has had the life experiences to put such depth and emotive
content into what he writes that every word seems to touch you deeply, making
you feel that you are stood right there with him as you listen to his words.
I really could go on talking about this one for hours, letting you know that the awesome album artwork comes from no other than John 'Digital' Dyer but, I really just need to say enough to make you go have a listen and even grab a copy, because it really is worth every penny.
My humble thanks to MC Oliver Twist for asking me to review
this and for our chats and the humbling and open chat we had regarding My Baby,
Thank You my friend.
Bomberman drops on July 7th from B-Line Recordings / Hip Hop Be Bop...
On that Note,
I’m out, see ya…
Steve
Get the Vinyl and T-Shirts from The Cold Krush Website Here:
https://thecoldkrush.bigcartel.com/
MC Oliver Twist on Bandcamp:
https://mcolivertwist.bandcamp.com/
MC Oliver Twist Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/paul.o.hunt
https://www.instagram.com/mc_olivertwist/
Hip Hop Be Bop on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/hiphopbebop
Review and Links for MC Oliver Twist meets Pandamonium:
https://infinitesoundsuk.blogspot.com/2021/04/single-review-whats-it-all-about-fly.html
The Bomberman Launch party is on September 29th at Mama Liz's Voodoo Lounge in Stamford. Check the link below for tickets to this Not To Be Missed event:
Deep and interesting review bro.
ReplyDeleteGood work...
It's been a while since I passed through your page, been hectic...
Always appreciate your insight
Thank you Man, I really appreciate you taking the time to drop some feedback and even more chuffed you enjoyed the review. Big up AJ
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