Brothers of
Invention
By
Analog Mutants
The Analog Mutants aka Phill Most Chill, DJ Snafu, and DJ
Grazzhoppa, have featured on the blog a few times with the singles Speak
Easy/I’m On Vacation (808 Remix) from 2022, Confidence/If Ya Let ‘Em (remix)
from 2023, and Titty Shaker from 2024.
The guys are now back with their double long player, Brothers
of Invention, which is dropping on 23rd November. Now, this
album has been in production for over a decade and features most of the above
singles, plus the album versions of I’m On Vacation and If Ya Let ‘Em.
As the Analog Mutants have featured here a few times, I’m
not going to go into them this time around. However, what I will do is just
give you the lowdown on the album. As always, the lyrics are by PMC and there
are no features here either. Album production comes from DJ Snafu, except for
Overlord of Fresh which is produced by DJ Grazzhoppa, who also brings us all
the cuts on the album.
There is also Additional music from Craig Cloy on Make Way
For The New Shit, Confidence, Hall of Shame, Pining (interlude), Tittyshaker,
and Infinity, plus bass on I’m On Vacation by Joanne Tait. The album cover art
also comes from the man Phill Most Chill.
So, with all that said, lets get into the Brothers of
Invention…
Let’s kick things off by dropping the needle on Side A,
which begins with Make Way For The New Shit. This one has a wicked jazz
vibe that incorporates horns, bass, keys, sonic sounds, and xylophone notes,
all coming together with a laid-back vibe that puts you in mind of sitting in a
smoky speak easy listening to some illicit sounds. PMC opens the album by
hitting us with a flow that allows to you hear every word, while still
seemingly making it hard for you to follow with some incredible word play that
blows you away from the get-go, wiping the slate of any expectation you might
have had in favour of this new shit. Having first blown you away, its now time
for the Mutants to ask you one question, Can You Feel It? This one opens
with razor sharp cuts from Grazzhoppa and the kind of upbeat funky sound that
makes every atom of your body move. Here PMC drops some intelligent rap vocals
that brings an electric feel good vibe that makes you manna get up and bounce
to the groove. This is the kind of Hip Hop that brings a huge smile to your
face, and you can’t ask for more than that. Now that we are hyped up its time
for the Mutants to bring a little magic to the table with a little Voodoo.
Rapid drums, horns, guitars, keys, and cuts sharper than a Katana merge
together at the hands of Snafu, creating a sound that hits like an injection of
adrenaline. PMC gives a masterclass in fast rap but, still with enough clarity
in his vocals to allow you to follow them. Detailing more about who he is and
some of the awesome projects he has been a part of, and this shows what can be
achieved when you constantly hone your craft, never sitting still but always
moving forward. Next up we have Confidence, originally released back in
2023. I don’t think I can say it any better now than I did back then. Drums,
live sax, and organ notes give you the energy that you need when you want to
stick on a track to get the people out their seats. Mix with that Grazzhoppa’s
knack of bringing you cuts that work seamlessly with the beat and it leaves you
begging to hear what PMC has to say, which is speaking all about Confidence.
It’s all about having confidence in your work and to never second guess what
you do. To be good at what you do, you have to be able to recognise that and to
be able to step up and say ‘Yeah, that’s me and, you know what, I am that good’
and that is something that everyone of the Analog Mutants display here,
Confidence in the quality of their work. Side-A is rounded off with one of only
a couple of Instrumental tracks on the album, Overlord of Fresh which is
produced by DJ Grazzhoppa. Here Grazzhoppa gives us solid display of his
dexterity on the One’s and Two’s over a banging drum beat. The DJ cut was once
a staple of many Hip Hop album’s back in the day and here the Mutant’s bring
that back in true style as Grazzhoppa shows exactly why he is the Overlord of
Fresh.
Take a brief pause as you flip to Side-B, before the quiet
is broken by the needle hitting the groove and I’m On Vacation bringing
the energy back. The reverse sound grabs your awareness, briefly, before things
get back on track and the drums, keys, bass and more bring and upbeat south
American sound that has an infectious edge and gets your body moving. PMC gets
on the mic, switching between flows, really going off on one. He appears to not
be giving it much thought but, you know that’s not the case because even when
you’re on vacation and having a good time, you can still bring the slick
wordplay, on ice. So, order another round of summer anthem vibes, and while you’re
enjoying yourself, what better than a bit of Freeform Freestylin’. Here
horns and a heavy beat create the background sound with Grazz on the cut,
bringing a sound that gets you out your seat pumping the air. This might not be
an actual freestyle, but PMC gives us a supreme display of what it is to drop
some incredible witty wordplay that leaves you as breathless as is sounds, Mic
Drop. From here it’s time for one for the Breakers with Leroy Brown.
This one has an energetic sound of drums, bass and guitars, which really gets
you fired up and wanting to hit the floor. PMC kind of flips the story of Bad,
Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce, from a story of a feared man getting bested
in a fight, to one of an emcee with a b-boy sound. This one feels like a story
of a dangerous emcee who pulls no punches and delivers his wordplay with a
deadly precision that takes out all comers. As you are digesting energy of what
has just gone, you’re hit with another freestyle track, the Allergies
Freestyle. This one has an upbeat sound of drums, sampled vocal sounds, and
cuts, creating a sound that seems to fire you up more than you realise, mixing
the Analog Mutants and the Allergies. PMC drops a freestyle with clever
wordplay that is so on point it’s hard to believe this is just off the top of
his head. With your head still nodding from that freestyle goodness, there is a
new sound coming, and that is the sound of Drones, where heavy basslines
and synth sounds merge to bring a sound that fits with a digital age vibe. PMC
opens up on the worrying trends of the digital age, where everything we do and
everywhere we go can be monitored by those around us and the authorities. We
are living in an age where we have less and less privacy in our day to day
lives. Side-B is rounded off with the instrumental track Analog Mutation,
where our minds are sent into a spin with mix of drums, sonic sounds, cuts, and
sampled sound bites that create this cut n’ paste vibe that focuses on the
mutation of analog sounds into something new, is this the origin of the Analog
Mutants perhaps…
Time for another brief pause as you flip to the second vinyl
record and slowly drop the needle onto Side-C. The crackle gives way to
Grazzhoppa on the cut and a huge slice of Hip Hop funk vibes drawing you back
into the album with If Ya Let ‘Em. Here we find PMC schooling us to the
fact that we all need to watch our own backs, keeping ourselves safe from those
who might directly or indirectly cause us harm, and those might even be with
the circle of our own family and friends. At the end of the day, you have to
look out for number one, first and foremost, because others can only hurt you
if are the one that lets them. Next up its time to take it back on that
vacation tip with the I’m On Vacation Freestyle. The beat here has a
grittier edge and is ferociously cut up by Grazzhoppa but, as the track
progresses there are twists and turns ending up with the pace being dialled
down a few notches. PMC goes all in showing that on vacation, it’s ok to go all
in and just enjoy yourself with lyrics. He also keeps his flows perfectly in
time with all those twists and turns on the beat. After all the fun of another
freestyle, it’s now time to Rock On On On with the Analog Mutants. This
one has wicked upbeat feel that mashes up a solid drum beat with a mix of
guitar vibes and more that seem to incorporate different styles rock vibes and
maybe even a hint of a bluesy sound too; a sound that really gets the dopamine
going, and all the while Grazzhoppa cuts up classic Hip Hop samples to keep you
rocking. PMC name drops some of the biggest inspirations to his music, and to
Hip Hop in general. He mixes it up some slick wordplay that keeps you rocking
alongside the beat. It was the sampling and cutting up of songs from these
artist that formed some of the most iconic hip hop tracks of all time, so what
better way to pay homage to that than with this track right here. Hall of
Shame is an instrumental cut that hits with a full on blues vibe with a
heavy drum beat, keys, horns, and a vocal sample that puts you in mind of the
likes of Muddy Waters, B. B. King and the like. This one is one of those that
you could chill with on repeat for hours. After that deep sound Anger
brings a jazzy vibe to proceedings with a multi-layered sound that hits on many
levels but gets the adrenaline rising all the same. The lyrics reflect that
rise in adrenaline with PMC speaking on the subject of anger in a way that
reflects the power and energy of that emotion. The wordplay has a heavy flow
and content that shows how we can all be pushed to the point of no return,
exploding with a wave of physical and verbal expressions. Side-C is rounded of
with the Pining (Interlude) a short instrumental that mixes horns, bass,
and much more into an upbeat sound that brings a smile to your face as it puts
you in mind of comedic spooky vibe like the Addams Family.
Now we have our final little pause as we flip the final to
the final side, Side-D. As the record spins and the needle begins its journey
it all kicks off with the single Speak Easy, from way back in 2022. This
one is a jazzy and funk filled uplifting vibe of drums and horns from Snafu,
all topped off by Grazzhoppa’s classic razor-sharp cuts. This one really gets
you in the mood to move as PMC hits the stage with some slick verses, easily
flipping between flows and showing a masterful level of being comfortable in
his wordplay. It also shows that regardless of lyrical content or beat, he can
just speak easy on any track, and his verbal mastery is at such a high level
that other emcee’s need to beware. The latest single from the Mutants follows
as 2024’s Tittyshaker drops in your face. This one has an upbeat funky vibe
that features guitars, keys, and horns, which brings an infectious sound that
injects movement into your body and a smile onto your face. The beat fits
perfectly with PMC’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics that not only reflect the title
but, serve as a fun filled ode to the female form. Well, actually one
particular aspect of the female form, which I’m sure hadn’t escaped your gaze.
An energy fuelled sound that is one of those, just for fun tracks that everyone
will enjoy bouncing to in the clubs and beyond. After listening to that, you
might just be thinking WTF Was That, and what that is, is the next
track. The beat here finds a funky guitar vibe taking the forefront and the
drum beat almost taking a back seat but, there are so many aspects and changes
to the beat here, it’s almost hard to keep up. However, the sound is upbeat and
gets you moving and enjoying what you’re hearing. PMC has fun here creating
some truly comedic verses that will have you rolling around and thinking
exactly what the title suggests. Its now time for this sides and the albums
penultimate cut, Abused. The beat here has a jazz funk sound that has
guitar and key elements alongside the drum beat, giving an upbeat sound that
gets your head nodding and your toes tapping. This one is a tale of the abuse
suffered by one of a DJs vinyl record collection. How it began life as a
pristine example, straight out the wrapper. But time and repeated plays have
caused the cover to fade and became tattered, the vinyl itself becoming
scratched, dirty, and the sound not what it used to be. Your first listen of
this might take you to a different place but, if you take the time to really
H.E.R you will get where I, and PMC of course, are going with this. Cracking lyricism
right here. The album ends with Infinity, a funky little number that
ends the album on high energy note as Snafu brings this wicked sound of drums,
horns, organ, and bass notes, which gives you the kind of energy boost you
need. This one really shows how to round off an album by bringing all elements
of the Analog Mutants together as Grazzhoppa brings the cuts and PMC drops the
kind of lyrics and wordplay that makes you realise that once you create one
mutant species, those mutations will continue to evolve and multiply for, well
Infinity…
Once you come back down to earth from the last hour, you
realise just what ride you have been on with the Analog Mutants. Twelve years
of formulation, testing and experimentation has created a double album that
could just as easily be described as two single albums or 4 EP’s, but what is
truly apparent here is that you cannot rush quality and Brothers of Invention
is an album of such quality that it has to be at the top, or very close to it,
of anyone’s albums of 2025.
When you have a group that is composed of an international
collective of this nature it is bound to produce Hip Hop of a quality that once
more proves that real Hip Hop is alive and kicking, but more than that it has
mutated in the form of the Analog Mutants, a group that could be the future of
Hip Hop, in some way or another.
I have probably said it before but, here are three artists
that have proven themselves within Hip Hop music. DJ Snafu brings production
that is totally on point, pushing the boundaries of the sound but, still
keeping its foundations intact. He brings a wealth of inspirational sound to
the table, then mixes them together in the way any mad professor might do to
create the perfect mutation. DJ Grazzhoppa has been in the game for many years
and has the experience to craft the perfect cuts for any situation. He also has
production qualities that brings an extra notch to his belt, and we have not
even mentioned his work with DJ Grazzhoppa’s Big Band. This guy is able to
chop, slice and splice any beat or sample to bring hidden abilities to any
mutation. Then, last but not least Phill Most Chill brings legendary status
emceeing to the laboratory. His ability to craft complex wordplay from even the
craziest lyrics and flows has seen him being one of the most influential emcees
out there in recent years. This puts him in the perfect place to bring
additional dimensions to the laboratory and hence, giving any mutation the
qualities most can only dream of.
Brothers of Invention is a release that builds on the
foundations of real Hip Hop music giving the listener an experience that will
speak to both the new listener and the seasoned veteran of Hip Hop music. There
is so much here that can be enjoyed time and time again, never getting old and
probably giving you something new to hear with each listen.
The other thing is something that I like to reiterate time
and again, that groups like the Analog Mutants solidify the international reach
of Hip Hop. Something that unites people the world over with a love for music
whose foundations were built on raising people up and bringing them together.
Brothers of Invention is released through Nobody Buys
Records digitally right now with limited edition vinyl out around 23rd
November. The limited edition vinyl comes in four colour variations with
artwork from Phill Most Chill, and these are selling quick, so don’t sleep on
them.
My huge thanks to DJ Snafu for the chance to bring this one
to you.
I’ll see you next time,
Well, it might be me or a mutation of me…
See Ya,
Steve.
LINKS
Grab your copy from one of these places:
https://nobodybuysrecords.bigcartel.com/products
https://nobodybuysrecords.bandcamp.com/merch
Analog Mutants Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/analogmutants/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076861993571
Nobody Buys Records Socials:
https://www.facebook.com/NobodyBuysRecords
https://www.instagram.com/nobodybuysrecords/
https://nobodybuysrecords.bigcartel.com/nobody-buys-records
VIDEOS
If Ya Let 'Em - Lyric Video
I'm On Vacation Freestyle - Lyric Video
Leroy Brown - Lyric Video
Drones - Lyric Video
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