This is the recent release on AE Productions, and it brings
you some exclusive versions of the track Opportunity Knocks, from the upcoming LP
release of the same name.
This one is a collaboration between Californian emcees Paavo
& Hugo Monster, with production from J & Mo (aka DJ J-Man (Cut Beetlez)
and DJ Mo’ Money. This one comes in a dope 7” at 33.3rpm package and features four
exclusive mixes from J & Mo, Jazz Spastiks, The Process (aka Ollie Teeba
& Jonny Cuba), and Charlie Tate.
So, sit back and join me as I take you through each one of
these remixes.
It all kicks off on Side A with DJ Mo Money’s In-House
Remix. This one features production from J & Mo and cuts from DJ J-Man.
This one has a wicked jazz hop vibe with an infectious beat that is alongside a
dope mix of horns and piano that immediately gets you moving to sound. The
message from Paavo & Hugo Monster is simple, when opportunity knocks, you
have to seize the moment and make the most of it, because if you let that
moment go, you might not get another. That moment might seem small, or it might
appear to be huge and overwhelming but, don’t think about it, even for a
moment, grab it and go with it and show everyone exactly what you are made of.
They do this with the use of slick wordplay and the kind of flows that get you
hooked and bouncing’.
Next up is the Jazz Spastiks Remix and this one, in
true Jazz Spastiks style, takes the track to another level. They give this one
a more chilled edge by softening the vocals slightly and using xylophone and
horns, alongside a sweet head nod beat to give you type of sound that makes you
just want to kick back and chill to this one, but still with enough energy to
keep you moving.
Time to flip the wax to Side B and first up here is the World
Expo Remix from The Process, otherwise known as Ollie Teeba and Jonny Cuba
(Soundsci). As you can probably guess, the guys give this one a pure slice of
Hip Hop with wicked beat, organ notes, cuts and more. Mix all that together and
you get a sound that amps up the adrenaline levels and has you jumping around
before you know it.
Last up is the Jazzual Suspects Remix which comes
from Charlie Tate aka The Jazzual Suspects (Colossus, Monkey Business, The Big
Cheese All Stars, etc). Here, horns and piano vibes merge with some sweet drums
to give you a deep Jazz sound that puts you in mind of sitting in dark, smoky
club, just drinking in the sounds as you casually nod a long…
Here we have four different versions of one track, each one
gives the words from Paavo and Hugo Monster, a different platform or stage if
you will. Each mix does not take away or change the message of seizing the
moment but, what does happen is that each remix just subtlety changes how that
message is delivered. You have the jazz infused, punchy delivery with DJ Mo
Money’s In-House Remix, then the more laid-back sound of the Jazz
Spastiks Remix. The Process, once again, give us a more hard hitting
delivery with the World Expo Remix, before we get chilled out once more
with the Jazzual Suspects Remix. Each side of this 45 starts us off on a
high before bringing us back down again, rather that just have one side with
two hard hitting vibes and one with the more chilled ones. It makes for a more
varied listening experience that keeps you on your toes.
With the long player coming in the not too distant future,
this single gives us solid feel of what to expect, especially if you know of
the previous work from J & Mo and/or Paavo and Hugo Monster. This is a
cracking release from AE Productions and is, as always, the full package with
full colour cover with a collage from Zoë Douglas-Cain and design and layout
from Darrell Krum, just to finish things off.
If you don’t have this one or have not heard it yet, then
you need to get on this one pronto. It’s definitely not one to sleep on.
Huge thanks to Mr Fantastic and DJ J-Man for letting me
bring this one to you and keep watch for the album, coming soon…
Diggin In Outer Space marks the first time I have had KISTA
on the blog, and not before time too. Kista is a self-confessed vinyl junkie, producer,
and Graff writer. He is also the owner of Soundweight Records, on which this is
released. The album is his latest release in a career that spans the last two
decades and features many standout releases such as ‘Collecting Dust’
which he produced alongside US emcee Glad2Mecha, and the highly acclaimed ‘Songs
From The Sea’s Edge’.
His deeply rooted and traditional Graff style has seen him
produce work for many of his own releases and Diggin In Outer Space is no
exception. The cover, by KISTA himself (See above), features a number of different pieces
that show his name and demonstrate his broad but classic style. The cover also
has this cut and paste style to it and features Graff pieces that are
interspaced with images of legendary NYC Graff writers, images of vinyl
records, Hip Hop and other musical influences, plus just a hint of psychedelia
too. This stunning imagery more than mirrors the what the promo material says
about the album “From start to finish this album takes you on a timeless
nostalgic trip of all this hip hop, record digging, graffiti, drum breaks,
spoken word, 90’s mix tapes, and Skateboarding”.
Now, I have always been a lover of the cut n’ paste style
mix and so I am truly looking forward to deep diving on this one. So, let’s not
hang around one more second. It’s time to join me as we turn the clock back to
the Mid-eighties and early 90’s for a journey into hip hop, dedicated to the
one and only ‘The 45 King’, let’s go Diggin In Outer Space with KISTA…
We begin our journey, of two halves (or sides as it were),
by lifting off from planet Earth, into the void of outer space with the Intro
(Stereo Test). This is more than intro to the album, but also and intro to
vinyl records, how to play them and a hint at crate digging too. It all comes
courtesy of a vocal sample from yesteryear over banging drum break, with a dash
of some electronic vibes to boot. Now that the needle is in the groove and we
are suitably thrust into our seats for the ride it’s time to get the Correct
Technique, and we do this by listening, intently to the drum break and all
the various samples, as they come together to get our head nodding, and the
head nod sound is something that is always critical as it transfers the energy
from the music into your body. Especially so when you’re floating through the
void of space. Now, something that was always a huge part of the early Hip Hop
Electro sound was the fact that it had that futuristic computer sound, and that
also expanded into the Graff scene too with futuristic styles, and it’s time to
explore the Graff side of things on Computer Rock (Future Shock). Wicked
infectious bass guitar and a dope beat, really gets ya adrenaline flowing, just
like the kick of grabbing a bag of spray cans and markers and getting out onto
the dark streets and into the subway tunnels to get your name up, in the
freshest style. The sampled vocals from graff writers really takes you back to
watching documentaries, like Style Wars, for the first time. You would get a
huge kick from practicing your own tag, before heading out and getting up for
the first time. Computer Rock Pt2 (The Essence) takes us deeper into
something that is the essence of both a graff writer or an emcee, and that is
the technique; each has to have their own individual style or styles of
creating their craft, from the tags and bubble, or wild style pieces, to the
wordplay and flows, you technique is everything and is up to the observer to
see if they can follow. Keep It on mixes up organ notes, xylophone
notes, and vocal samples over a wicked drum beat to give us a sound that almost
has a laid-back edge to it but, still has that banging vibe that keeps you
bouncing as our journey through the cosmos continues but, if you thought that
the link to planet earth was lost, you are mistaken as Solstice brings
that link to bear with a hypnotic sound that has these sampled vocals that seem
to speak to your unconscious, reminding you that no matter how far you travel,
you are always still close to nature and should always remain so. That idea of
remaining close to nature, even when surfing the cosmos leads us into Mushroom
Clouds where the beat is laced with hypnotic piano notes that allow us to
drift off into a different type of cosmos, one where some, possibly, natural
substances help us reach a cosmos of our own making. The organ notes and
guitars on Take You Higher find us inhaling more of those substances to
transcend that induced cosmos, before realising that sound and music also has
the capability to takes up to other places, and that is where we end the first
part of our journey into outer space.
One quick flip, and the needle is back in the groove, and
our journey continues, with just that little pause. Now we get things back on
track with the title track Diggin in Outer Space, which takes us back to
NYC. Here we get the low down on how a vinyl record is produced before breaking
into sampling, the MPC and more. This track is almost like a cut n paste mix in
itself as KISTA mixes in a wealth of vocal samples with switching sound along
the way as the focus of the vocal sample’s changes. It keeps you on your toes
and shows the work that goes into creating that physical product you love to
hold in your hand and then watch, mesmerized, as it spins on the turntable
bringing the sound you love to hear. Crescent Moon takes us into a jazz
infused sound with classic drum break with strings to give it a chilled air.
Then there are the piano and horns that really bring in that jazz sound.
Something that really came into hip hop music in the 90’s, bringing a sound
that was rooted in hip hop but, had this jazzy vibe that you could chill to,
showing that somethings just blended so well with that hip hop sound. Now, Walkman
Blues opens with a little soundbite that I can associate with as I had my
first introduction to Hip Hop by listening to a cassette of the latest tunes.
Here the beat, organ notes, claps and vocal samples all come together to create
this vibe that gets you reminiscing of the days you had a cassette Walkman, and
then a CD Walkman. I remember making my own mix tapes or putting the latest
albums on tape to listen to on my train journey to work. Later, I had the means
to do the same with CD’s. This one really takes me back, and the blues comes in
when you forgot to get back up batteries, or the tape massed up. Those were the
days. Xylophone notes bring us into Moon Rocks, where those notes mix
with organ notes over the beat to give you this upbeat sound that kind of
lightens the mood somewhat. It keeps that jazz vibe going once more but, in
more chilled way, and makes you think of bouncing around on the moon in low
gravity, looking back at the earth, the same way you might look back at music
that has gone before, how it has influenced you and how you might be able to
use it in the future. On the subject of musical influences, the Chrome Face
(Skit) brings in a short funk fuelled guitar sound, alongside a nice drum
beat that switches your focus to the equipment needed to take all of those
musical ideas, that are floating around in your mind, and getting them into a
usable form, recorded and ready for use. Similarly, your idea might be to take
a Stack of 45’s and produce a funky little mix out of them, and if that
is your idea, then you might just come up with something like this little
beauty. No more needed to say here just kick back and enjoy. The penultimate
sound on our little journey right here is Endless Summer, and this one
takes a pounding drum break and mixes in piano, horns and more to bring you a
sound that puts you slap bang in the middle of NYC, in the heat of the summer.
From the busy summer days to the rocking summer nights, this one takes you
there, as a little aside from travelling icy depths f outer space. KISTA rounds
things off here with the Space Cookie (Outro), a spaced out drum and key
infused sound that reminds you this journey is took you out into the depths of
the cosmos for a ride through the foundations of the Hip Hop sound and much
more. Now you are left with a little decision to make. Do you come back to
earth for more or do you stay floating, out there in deep space…
This has been some trip for sure, and it is not always easy
to review a release such as this because you hear so many sound bites, samples,
and more that you recognise that you question, do I list all these that I
recognise? Now, if I was to do that, we’d be here forever. So, what is best to
do is just give you the things that come to mind as I listen.
What this album did do was to take me back to those days of
old, to a time when I first heard Hip Hop, properly, when I knew what it was.
That old Cassette, that I still have, was my first introduction. Yes, I had
heard Rappers Delight on vinyl but, I didn’t know what I was listening too, at
the time and was only eight or nine years old. When I got to thirteen and was
told that this is Hip Hop, things blew up. I loved those times, trying to make
pause button mixes or listening to Double D and Steinski’s The Lesson series or
taping DMC mixes from the John Peel Show on a Monday Night. Now I wasn’t a
skateboarder, so I can’t comment on that but, I know it was a huge within some
in Hip Hop so, it definitely has its part to play. Hip Hop wasn’t just music,
it was Breakin’, it was Graff, and it was knowledge. I learnt so much from
listening to Hip Hop and researching what heard in the lyrics.
So, not only does Diggin In Outer Space take you back
to those early years, it encapsulates everything about that time. From buying
records, tapes and CD’s, to trying to write Graff, trying to be a Breaker, and
trying to Rap or be scratch a record (in the musical scenes). It brings all
that alive once more, putting you in touch with those feelings and reminding
you of what it was about Hip Hop that struck you, the oneness. You were part of
a movement, a culture, something new that was growing, and still alive today,
if you look in the right places.
KISTA proves, right here, and without the shadow of a doubt,
that he is one of the premo Hip Hop producers out there that still embodies the
roots of what Hip Hop is all about. Diggin In Outer Space takes you on a
trip that is seamless from start to finish. It is a rollercoaster ride that is
not just a great listen but, one that takes you to new or old places and
elicits emotions and adrenaline shots with every beat. KISTA has this instinct
that know exactly what beats, breaks and samples to use to convey the message
he is putting across, and that message seems to be that this is Hip Hop music
and this music can break down the walls and take you anywhere you want to go.
So, turn up the volume and feel the love for the music, the culture, and your
fellow brothers and sisters across the world.
For those of us who grew up in the 70’s, 80’s this one is a
nostalgic trip that will take you back and have you grinning from ear to ear,
and if you grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, it will have a similar effect. For
those of you hearing this who grew up in noughties or after, this one is going
to give you an insight into a time when playing with music and bringing fun and
good times was the name of the game and I hope it ignites a new flame inside
you to explore the music and bring that energy back, because we need that fun
energy to back into music and inspire unity beyond borders.
This has to be high on my albums of the year as it is a
stunning slice of Hip Hop that ticks all the boxes and proves, once and for
all, that Hip Hop is in the house, and its alive and kicking.
Diggin In Outer Space was release back in August and the
vinyl has now sold out. It is still available on digital though so, grab a
copy.
My huge thanks to KISTA for allowing me to bring this one to
you.
Epiphanies and Punchlines is the latest offering from the
duo of Ill Sykes and SheikhyGround. Released back in July, it continues on from
their 2022 The Road Less Travelled EP.
Now, I don’t want to say too much myself before I get into
the album So, I’m going to let Ill Sykes give you a little insight into the
theme of the album; “This album acts as a conduit for emotions and
experiences relating to the struggles that come with being human. As a double
edged sword, the album also chronicles the trials of the archetypal suffering
artist trying to find his way in a world that they feel wasn’t built for them,
compelled to express yet burdened by the sensitivity that fuels their art”.
With those thoughts in your head, join me as I take you on a
walk through of Epiphanies & Punchlines…
It all begins with the title track of the album Epiphanies
& Punchlines which serves as the into for the album too. Here the beat
is chill and softened into the background as the mix of soft strings and guitar
takes the fore front giving this one a very relaxed feel. As you listen, you
get the feeling this is setting the scene for what’s to come with a narrative
that is poised in the middle of something. Beginning with this spoken word
element that has a reflective edge to it, then comes this sung chorus part
reaches the present moment before a sharper edge appears to look towards the
future and first tentative steps on a path that has finally been found. The
sounds of rain, piano notesand cuts
from DJ JtL, bring us into It Never Rains (It Only Pours), backed by
more head nod beat and emotive strings. Everyone’s journeys are beset with ups
and downs along the way and here we take a look into those times where things
get too much for us, and those moments of depression threaten to drag us into a
place where we struggle to even see the brighter days. There are any number od
reasons why we might find ourselves in this place, Beit the struggles of
everyday life and losing those we love, or weight felt by an upcoming artist
finding their way, to have that authentic edge that will carry them forward.
Synth vibes and a melodic beat seems to take you back to the Synthpop of the
80’s on Running Away. There is no escaping the fact that facing life of
the spotlights of the stage brings it own hurdles, and as we push ourselves in
any one moment it can test our resolve and mental health, and this track has
that feel that sometimes things can get on top of us and push us to the point
of turning away from what is in front of us. We get caught up in the four walls
of our mind, a place where everything is too much and we just get by but, it is
a thin line between staying and leaving…
Metropolis Armada has more LoFi feel with a chilled
beat and multi-layered sound with guitar and synth elements alongside soft
etheric vocal samples; all coming together to create a dream like sound scape. Here
there seems to be a natural progression from the struggles that have been to an
internal, almost spiritual, voice that directs you not to give up but, to
understand that the stars are only a dream away. Those stars are the light in
the night, a glimpse that there is a brighter place and the more you dream of
them, the more you bring that light toward you. Piano and guitars merge with a
laid-back beat and a splash of cuts (once again from DJ JtL), bringing a
reflective edge on The Observer. Here we find the narrative shifting to
one of the observer, watching the life of others as they pass him by. Finding
out that fact that society is a diverse place where HI’s and Low’s exist at a
dizzying pace and sometimes you have to just take your time and look at things
differently, focus on individual things rather than trying to examine the
entire scene that plays out before you. Looking at things individually allows
you to see the entire spectrum rather than the blurred vision that you usually
see. Guitar notes take the centre stage on Games With No Names, keeping
the reflective edge to the sound. Things from our past do shape who we are and,
at times, how we approach and deal with what is in front of us in the present.
The challenges we faced as children may have seen us disappearing into our own
worlds as a place to escape how we were treated by others; that does not mean
that we will not do similar things as adults. But, as adults our escapes could
be music, a place where we can create what we want or where we can find a place
where we know we are not alone and others have experienced the same, giving us
and escape and hope…
Shapeshifters hits with a sound that has a
soundtrack, orchestral vibe to it. This one deals with the struggles of mental
health. Here there is that struggle between yourself, those inner voices that
are constantly at odds to each other, making you doubt yourself when you were
on the verge of something positive. This is one of those emotive and very
personal tracks that really hits hard, especially for those who have their own
internal struggle, constantly second guessing all you do and how others might
view you and the things you do. This is a struggle so many of us know only too
well and makes this such a hard hitting sound. Gatekeeping Infinity, is
an intense spoken word track that openly examines addiction , reflection and a
desire to move forward into a more positive future. There is a depth to this,
that continues on from the previous track, hitting you with an even more
personal and matter-of-fact expression. The intensity of the words evokes a
pure emotional response that you won’t deny but allow to touch you and bring
forth what it will. The emotive words are backed by an equally deep sound that
I can only describe as sounding like how your deepest thoughts may sound as you
sit with them, thinking over all that has been and might be; a masterful piece
of production work for sure that reflects that it is only you between here and
infinity. Strings take the forefront over a solid head nod beat on Live
Forever, evoking more emotive feelings within. This is one of those tracks
where all the cards are laid on the table and gives you an open-hearted look at
the desire that lays within, a desire to be the best you can be, striving to
push yourself on your life’s path in a way that will see you, your work, and
your memory live on. So many of us take it that what we do will one day be lost
to the sands of time and never really think anymore about it but, what if you
did? What if you were able to create something, anything, that would give you
that chance, would you not put your all into it, a passion for all that you do,
something that would shine through in everything that do. Would you describe
that passion and that desire the same way…
It has been an emotive trip thus far and as we come to the
penultimate track of the album, Deliverance, a multi-layered LoFi sound
carries us along, switching things about, giving more focus to the vocals.
There are times where we all cast our eyes to the skies, speaking to whatever
our idea of a god is, opening our hearts on where we are and what can we do to
go on! This is exactly that, something feels like opening up, from the pit of
despair, and delivering heart-felt words that say, this is who I am, I am now
in this place where I have been through so much but, now I know who I truly am
and now that I have found me, this is who I am going to be from now on, I
accept all that makes me this person, and now it is time to walk forward with
strength and love in my heart. The album ends with The Mountain, where
the sound switches once more to one that has a more prog rock edge to the
sound, putting you in mind of the likes of Floyd and others being mixed in.
This one is also the longest track of the album featuring additional vocals
from Dannielle Moles, Imogen Taper and Robin Taper. There is nothing better
than ending something on a positive note, and here we are given the spectacle
of what it is to overcome the biggest obstacles on our paths. There is the
sense that what we have here is an overview of the entire journey, the mountain
is that final hurdle to overcome but, it can also be representative of where we
have been as well as where we are going, showing all the struggles we have
faced, the times we have faltered, and the times we thought we would never make
it. But now we have those special voices around us that speak to us, encourage
us, giving us renewed hope and the strength to carry on, and so we climb higher
knowing that the summit not that far away…
Sometimes it is so hard to sum up an album when it has given
you so much to talk about as you have listened. However, I have recently been
graced with reviewing music that has a very deep and personal edge to it, and
Epiphanies and Punchlines is one of those too. The deeply personal and emotive
nature of the album is the kind of sound that we all so greatly need to hear
right now. This I sone of those albums that makes you think deeply of your own
struggles and where you are, right now in this moment. It also gives you hope
for a far brighter future if you open up and accept who you truly are. Do that
and there is nothing to hold you back. Once you are at peace with your shadow
self you can accept your true self, and this was the overwhelming aspect of this
album that spoke to me and will hopefully speak to you as well.
Ill Sykes and SheikhyGround have crafted a true masterpiece
where the emotive nature of the lyrics is matched by the production one hundred
percent. Ill Sykes shows an evolving side to his vocal delivery using spoken
word, rap, and sung lyrics to broaden his range and deliver everything this
album sets out to do. He still has that intricate wordplay but, here he shows
that mixing up his flows and styles has taken a huge step forward.
SheikhyGround uses every ounce of his production skills to draw on a range of
musical styles to craft a sound that perfectly reflects the emotive nature of
every one of the words being spoken and what they are saying.
This album explores themes that do not fail to touch you
deeply. There is suffering and grief but also talk of the resilient nature of
the human spirit as well as the strength to aspire to be all you can be and
more. These are themes that each one of us can associate with, allowing us to
draw on our own experiences, and in doing so we realise that we also have the
capabilities to have the same aspirations and resolve to be all we can be.
For me, what this album does so well is to take Hip Hop to
another level, one where you can draw on more emotive sounds to take the idea
of conscious story telling and mix it with deeply personal lived experiences,
and in doing so allow the listener to look within themselves at the same time
as taking on-board the journey of another.
If you have not heard this one yet, then I whole-heartedly
invite you to do so and see where it takes you.
Remember to support independent music. This release is available to stream and buy physical copies too. There is nothing like Holding a copy in your hand...
My humble thanks to Ill Sykes for giving me the chance to
bring this one too you.
I’ll see you next time.
Steve.
LINKS
Check out Ill Sykes LinkTree for all the links to stream or get physical copies:
