Album Review: Golden Ape Beat-Tape Vol. 2 - Beats By Dweller Side-B Mixed by DJ Simon C

 

Golden Ape Beat-Tape Vol. 2

Beats by Dweller

Side-B Mixed by DJ Simon C

 

It was about eighteen months ago when a reviewed the first Golden Ape Beat-Tape from Dweller on the Live From The Groove label. That release featured a collection of some of the UKs finest underground beat makers , plus a B-Side that was seamlessly mixed by the legendary Jazz T.

Now Live From The Groove is back with the second instalment, the Golden Ape Beat-Tape Vol 2. This time around the collection of beats all come from label founder Dweller with Side-B being mixed by the labels own DJ Simon C….

That said, let’s get into it…

Each side of the Beat-Tape is nine tracks long and a little under 25 minutes in length. The A-Side kicks off with Misguided Adventure, which has a proper funky head nod vibe that really comes alive with this double bass element that vibrates through your whole body as you groove to the sound. What It Means follows with drums, keys, guitar vibes, flute and more, all coming together to give you a sound that keeps you moving. This one has that kind of vibe that would not see it out of place on a soundtrack of movie or TV series that has an inner city setting or similar. Next up is Chop La Disco which brings this awesome funk fuelled sound that mixes drums, strings, piano and guitars into the kind of sound that has an infectious feel to it. The infectious funk vibe continues on Beam Me Up which has this wicked drum beat over which is this eclectic mix of piano, organ and electronic vibes that picks you up and has you floating off into space. Now you are suitably floating off, its time for North Stars to have you transcending into another dimension with this futuristic beat and electronic vibes. Taking you far away as you allow the sound to permeate your awareness. Without warning the vibe changes with Grubby Luggage, here the sound has a more boom bap feel with a solid beat and funky bass sound that brings back from outer space to get your head nodding once more. Now you suitable grounded once more, Slow Motion Thinking brings a lighter sound with flute, keys, guitars, and a more chilled beat. This one would almost have you chilled right out but for the occasional high paced beat elements that just about keep you in the moment. The penultimate track on this side is the only one to feature a vocal sample thus far as the intro to Pick The Right Way. Here the beat is heavy with electronic elements which seem to fit with the notion that picking the wrong way will take you on a downward spiral to place you don’t want to be. You end this side immersed in a place where you get A Word In Your Ear, one which is full of strings, drums, and cymbals. The sound has this head nod element but, also this vibe that has a more thoughtful edge to it, the kind of sound that fits perfectly when you are in a contemplative mood.

It is now time to flip over to the B-Side where DJ Simon C is about to test the minds of the listener, especially the reviewer who has no idea of track length going into this, with nine beats being perfectly and seamlessly mixed from start to finish. It all kicks off with Cryptwalking, with a heavy beat, bells, keys and more, this one does give you the sense of slowly walking forward, with no real direction and with one eye cast over your shoulder. The beat changes slightly as we move into Flat-tops, where big orchestra horns take the forefront alongside a solid head nod beat. Once more you get that kind of soundtrack vibe before heavy strings join the sound. This carries you into Waterfalls, where the beat and guitar vibes unite with Piano elements to bring this upbeat sound that makes you wonder, what would a waterfall sound like if it had a musical element as is cascaded over your body, and perhaps this is it. The Piano vibes continue with Gut-Wrench which has this Lofi sound that, I have to say, does put you in mind of how you feel having had some gut-wrenching news; carrying you along where you are almost in a daze. Just as you are wondering where this is going, Shot In The Dark drops in with a pulse pounding funk sound that has this awesome uplifting sound with this funky guitar element that puts a grin on your face once more. Sycamore Style kind of drifts into the flow with a drum program and horns that give you a sense being at speed but, also floating at the same time, just like a sycamore seed as it falls to the ground, spinning rapidly while floating slowly on the breeze. Crom’s Lament comes in with a recognisable sample that has that soundtrack vibe to it, alongside heavy drums and cymbals; all of which put you in mind that something big is coming and this is almost the calm before the storm. It is either that or this is the sound of someone coming to terms with their past as their final journey awaits them. Whichever it is there is this emotive edge to this one that conjures up many things for the listener. You won’t be waiting long see what the impending sound was foretelling as The End Of The World is soon upon you. Drums and keys create this deep sound, one that continues that emotive edge, touching you to the very core of your being and making you wonder if there is anything more to this journey; that question is soon answered as Shake The Colours almost explodes into your awareness, instantly pulling you back to the present moment. The upbeat sound of drums, xylophone notes and horns give you an instant adrenaline hit that makes you realise that there is not just a silver lining to the world around you but, that music is the gateway to a brighter future, you just have to let it in…

I have to say that, bringing myself back from this one was a huge task as instrumental music gives me free reign to interpret things however I want and, looking back over my words, I could rewrite this one totally differently if felt like it and even go on for a few more pages yet but, I have to give you some overall impressions, or perhaps I just did…

There are few things that strike you when you have given this a good listen or two, the first of which is the diversity of Dweller’s production across these eighteen tracks. Yes, you can feel that the foundation comes from that boom bap Hip Hop sound but, there are some great elements of other sounds, genre’s and more mixed into each one of these; showing the calibre and an insight into just what he is capable of as a producer. The emotive nature of these tracks really allows you to go anywhere with this one and the fact that it leaves you on a high note means that no matter how you are feeling when you put this one on, it will leave you on a more euphoric note once you get to that last track.

You can’t sum up this one without taking a good look at the B-Side too. DJ Simon C expertly mixes these tracks together, keeping the vibe going all the way through until that last explosion of sound and inferred colour. His addition of cuts across the whole thing also adds depth and keeps that foundation of the Hip Hop sound alive while giving you food for thought without pausing to consider just where the music is taking you; it’s just one long journey to enjoy.

For me this a cracking release that shows exactly what Live From The Groove, Dweller and DJ Simon C have to offer. The Golden Ape Beat-Tape Vol 2 takes things to a different level from Vol 1 and proves that they are true silver backs of the UK Hip Hop scene.

The Golden Ape Beat-Tape Vol 2 is available now and is definitely one not to miss, also make sure you check out the recent review of MNEA ; The Future Introspective EP which is another outstanding release from Live From The Groove

My thanks to Dweller for giving me the chance to bring you this one.

I’ll see you next time,

Steve.

LINKS

Get your copy from one of these links:

https://www.livefromthegroove.com/

https://livefromthegroove.bandcamp.com/album/golden-ape-beat-tape-volume-2

One link for all things LFTG:

https://linktr.ee/livefromthegroove

Live From The Groove Socials:

https://www.facebook.com/livefromthegroove

https://www.instagram.com/livefromthegroove/

VIDEOS

Golden Ape Beat-Tape Vol. 2  Side-A

Golden Ape Beat-Tape Vol. 2  Side-B Mixed by DJ Simon C

 

 

 

 

Beat-Tape Review: Golden Ape Beat-Tape by Live From The Groove

 

Golden Ape Beat-Tape

By

Live From The Groove

 

The Golden Ape Beat-Tape is the latest release from one of the UKs newest Hip Hop labels. Originally started back in hazy days of 2020, Live From The Groove was an online platform dedicated to radio shows and online performances during those painful lockdown pandemic days. Things grew quickly for the guys who decided to start a label alongside the online shows, and they released their first single this year the dope and very funky 23 ‘til Infinity by Dweller and featuring Nilla (Canada).

Dweller aka Al English is no stranger to Infinite Sounds as I reviewed his album ‘Record Of Achievement’ back in January of 2020. Firstly, let me introduce you to the guys who form Live From The Groove: Dweller aka Al English from Manchester is an emcee/producer, Dave Taylor aka TMB from Worthing handles art plus behind the scenes stuff and Simon Canon aka DJ Simon C also from Worthing is the turntable trickster. They are also part of a DJ collective known as the Get It Together DJ’s alongside fellow  DJ Trick.

What the guys have done with Live From The Groove, is to create a label that does everything or as much as possible in house. So, all the recording, mixing, and mastering, the artwork and design, even down to the shrink wrapping, is done internally. Something that really goes back to the independent record label mentality and very Hip Hop in one sense too.

Back to the Golden Ape  Beat Tape which is a hand selected line-up of producers that Al English has had the pleasure of working with over the years. Side A has been compiled and arranged by himself while the B-Side has been mixed by the legendary DJ Jazz T (Jehst, Fliptrix, Ramson Badbones DJ)  of Boot Records. It promises to have a slightly different feel to each side and Dweller promises me that the A-Side will be a bit more on the chilled side But, the B-Side will have a more upbeat vibe with Jazz T doing all the mixing live on the turntables.

With all that said, there is only one more thing to do and that is for me to take you through the album. So, let’s go…

The Golden Ape Intro has the of walking  down the street and passing a venue when you hear the sound of a DJ cutting up some Hip Hop inside and your instantly draw to head in and see what’s going on. The first track to grab your attention is Speedboat by Gadget & GrandHuit, this is mellow sound created out of guitar, sparse drums, and a mixture of organ vibes that you just kinda want to sit back and nod your head to. Next up is Decadent by Kuartz, which has that lo-fi vibe of keys, drums and assorted background sounds that is really mellow but, has an uplifting feeling too. Backseat Drivin’ by D_Piff sees the drums take a backseat to this melodic sound which almost takes the feeling of being the open air that puts this kind of industrial vibe on it but, it’s still mellow and still laid-back. The sound then lightens up with the piano in Working by Conbel Evrence, which softens the drum element almost to the point it is barely audible, creating this fresh sounding vibe that puts you in mind of standing on the seashore on a bright early summer morning and that feeling continues with the sound of gulls, soft drums and organ notes on Apterlude, another track from Conbel Evrence that keeps you drinking in that feeling of a fresh sea breeze blowing away the cobwebs. No compilation of this nature would be complete without at least one beat from the man himself and here Dweller gives us On The Grass, complete with the uplifting sound of guitars, flute and drums which have you floating of into the wide blue yonder feeling as free as the birds.

From floating in the sky, we glide gently back to earth with the sound of Last Man Standing by Chilla Ninja, the soft sounds, drums and cuts, really makes you feel you’re standing on a street, bathed in light of a setting sun and listening to the music  floating to into your awareness from all around you. Those sounds begin to merge into one sound, electronic vibes and acoustic guitar that is Three Paths by Mazzini.  Via a vocal sample we are presented with the notion of three paths to one God, which in this moment feels like  three paths to one sound, that sound is the music  that uplifts us and takes us wherever we want to go, perhaps music is our god?

With that thought in mind, piano notes draw us into Take A Cyde by Chills Myth. Drums drop in alongside the piano notes and once more we find ourselves being overtaken by the music which expands our consciousness to new levels as we allow it to do so, simply by the art of listening. The final track of Side-A is Runny Colours by Orange Feel, The perfect way to end this side as the sounds of harps, soft drums and vocals have you feeling like you just awoke from a meditative music dream and the sights and sounds of the world are just beginning to become a part of your awareness once more.

With our awareness now squarely back in the room, we flip the tape over to side B, both wondering and preparing ourselves for what’s to come, already knowing that DJ Jazz T is about to be live in the mix. Welcome To Side B finds Jazz T cutting up some chillers, tweaking those adrenaline levels a bit and creating anticipation for what’s coming. First track to get the full-on treatment is No Perps by Chills Myth, a synth heavy sound with various drums and cymbal sounds that begin to elevate those upbeat, head-nod vibes. Full Court by Lone Apostrophe almost takes us back into that Lo-Fi vibe with its chilled horns But, the drums elevate this one alongside the initial cuts from Jazz T.

The piano notes and orchestral vibes of Lost Potential elevate the upbeat vibe  once more as Jazz T raises things up just a few notches before raising it up again with the heavy piano vibes of Who I Hang With by Chills Myth. This one has some nice drums and bells too that give this a sweet Hip Hop undertone but the piano notes take the forefront, making this one perfect for a summers drive. The drums and multi-layered sound of Big Slacker (WYCypher Theme) by ExP, has this upbeat electronic jazz vibe that just continues that summer drive chill-out cruise. From there we break into a more  traditional Hip Hop sounding drum vibe of Downrock (Breaktime Pt 3) by Gadget, which has some almost far eastern elements to the sound while also being one of those tracks that maintains a certain b-boy element to it as well, especially when you add in some cuts from Jazz T.

Woah by Conbel Evrence brings a drum and synth infused sound that seems to continuously get you ready for something  but also keeps you waiting….. and what you are waiting for is an Interlude that is this upbeat xylophone heavy sound over some vocal samples, it kind of raises you up into the stratosphere once more. The interlude takes us into the penultimate track On My Knees by V, which has this solid Hip Hop sound with piano notes and drums with some guitar notes and vocal samples which really elevate the upbeat vibes getting those heads nodding. An explosion of sound and some deft cuts catapult us into the final track Spirit Levels by Dusty Methods, which has drums, guitar sounds and much more that give this one an almost nerve-jangling sound with a jazzy vibe.

 

This is definitely a Beat-Tape of two halves and all the tracks are seamlessly mixed into each other. Creating this Lo-Fi Hip Hop sound that you can float, nod, bounce, or simply just kick back and chill to.

Let’s take the A-Side with its eleven tracks of goodness that says ‘you don’t have to have more bounce to the ounce’ to be Hip Hop, you can also be chill and still be Hip Hop.

It also shows how Hip Hop vibes have influenced and given rise to such genres as Lo-Fi, Trip Hop and Chill Hop. Here Dweller has chosen nine tracks by ten producers, plus one from his own repertoire (two if you count the Intro) to show the calibre of those who produce a more chilled out form of Hip Hop. All mixed in a way that creates this beautiful, relaxed flow that allows you to kick back, close your eyes and let the music take you wherever you want to go.

Now, the B-Side also has that Lo-Fi, lazy summer days kinda feel to the music but, here DJ Jazz T adds his own stamp to proceedings by seamlessly cutting and mixing the entire twelve tracks all in one live session. That addition of cuts, scratches and mixing adds an extra dimension that does the job of raising vibe enough as to give you the perfect soundtrack to a warm summer’s afternoon drive to nowhere in particular, except into the heart and soul of the music.

I have always loved instrumental music such as this because you can listen to it over and over again and it always takes you somewhere different and the Golden Ape Beat-Tape does just that. I have listened to this a few times but sitting and being more focused on the tracks for the review had it sounding entirely different to when I first heard it. That first listen had a certain anticipation attached to it as I was literally the first person outside of the label to hear it, which meant I was hearing something fresh and new, and I’m still amazed how I remember something totally different to what I heard today. That is the power of good music.

There is nothing for it but, for you to give this one a go and I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed. The Golden Ape Beat-Tape will have a strictly limited run of good old fashioned cassette tapes for all of you who love that retro feel. There will also be some limited CDs too and remember all those tapes and CDs are done in house with one of a kind artwork. I mean, what more do you want? Seriously.

The Golden Ape Beat-Tape shows exactly what independent labels are capable of, in their desire to bring you the best music and best in limited physical releases. Live From The Groove have produced something that is a little different perhaps,  but still has it roots in the foundation of Hip Hop music.

Pre-release orders will be up on Bandcamp and streaming on 28^th April with the full release exclusive to Bandcamp on 15^th May. Full streaming release will follow.

My huge thanks to Dweller for asking me to review this one.

One that note,

I’ll see ya next time.

Steve

LINKS

Live From The Groove Bandcamp for the April 28th Pre-Release and much more:

https://livefromthegroove.bandcamp.com/music

Live From The Groove on Mixcloud:

https://www.mixcloud.com/livefromthegroove/

Live From The Groove YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@LiveFromTheGroove

Live From The Groove on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/livefromthegroove/

Live From The Groove on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/livefromthegroove

 

 

Album Review: Future Crates 2 by Chess Moves

 

Future Crates 2

By

Chess Moves

 

A couple of months ago I treated you to my take on Chess Moves beat tape, Future Crates 1, a 29-track monster that mixed up the vibes and gave you one hell of a look at the creative mind of the London based producer. Well, now he is back with Future Crates 2 and this is even more of a monster than the first with massive 36 tracks but, this one will be a little easier on the fingers as 13 of those are interludes.

I’ll let the man himself tell you what it’s about “A crates, vinyl sampling excursion of drum breaks excavated from deep in the basement through the dust and cobwebs and hauled into the studio for a re-awakening. Polyrhythm time structures in the beat assembly process and use of LFO's and filters combined, bring forward moving dynamics to give the tracks motion. Others hit hard like a heavy boom bap sound reminiscent of the 90's Hip Hop Production sound through grain, saturation, and compression. 36 tracks of Hip Hop / Crate Digging Instrumentalism goodness for those in the game that are firmly embedded in the culture and art as well as those that are getting introduced to it with fresh eyes and ears.”

With that in mind, let’s get into it…

It all kicks off with the Intro (Interlude 1) with is a few seconds of heavy drums and cut up samples to whet your appetite before things really heat up with The Calling, this one is a heavy pulse pounding sound with a background electronic element that just eases the impact a little but, not enough to stop you needing to catch ya breath. Interlude 2 hits some classic drum samples that sound straight out the SP1200 with Trouble Funks ‘Pump Me Up’ cut up over the top for good measure before it’s straight into Fundamental Techniques, more heavy boom bap drums with guitar and electronic samples mixed together to give you the fundamentals of putting a beat together. Interlude 3 takes that cut up Pump Me Up section from the previous Interlude but, adds a different drum program to it, just to mix things up.

Independent Part Movement has heavy drums and guitars that has this reverb effect placed on it, this means this one hits with less intensity, which is in complete contrast to the following beat, Overlapping Parallelism, with its mix of rough bass sound and button pushing goodness, this one messes with your head while still making bob your head. It has more of an action soundtrack vibe to it. Multipart Phenomena is just that with multiple elements of drums, percussion, keys, drums and sampled vocal bits, all mixed into one multi-layered vibe. Distinctive Elements is, again, aptly named as there is this distinctive sound to each element. There is one drum beat over which are several orchestral / soundtracks samples that produce this almost eerie sense of anticipation.

Interlude 4 is another host of cut-up samples with a sampled drum loop, just giving a little boom bap pallet cleanser between beats. Heterophony almost seems to overload your awareness until you understand what it is, the definition of this type of musical texture as a simultaneous variation on a single melodic line. Now you can soak up the drums and electronic vibes safe in the knowledge you now understand what it’s all about. Next up is Of The Chamber, a jazzy mix of drum elements and piano notes with a few strings just to add to the depth and which leaves you wondering should you nod or sway to this one and the reverb here gives you feeling it was recorded in one, a chamber that is…

Interlude 5 takes us back to the SP1200 vibe with cut-up samples, taking you back, back into time. From the old skool, we are dragged back to the present with Prodigious Harmonics, which seems to open up the mind to new styles of boom bap music with this extensive display of Hip Hop harmonics to tease both your ears and your mind. Blurred Monody gives us a classic boom bap drum beat over which is these orchestral samples that have this emotional depth, a single melodic line, which is blurred by the head nod sound that carries you along. Interlude 6, once more, takes us back to the classic Hip Hop sound with percussion and cut-up vocal samples.

Homorhythm is a texture of music where all parts have a similar or very similar rhythm. Here there is this mix of drums with an occasional electronic note, all of which do appear to follow a similar rhythm, well they do to my ears anyway but, I’m not as young as I used to be. Superimposition is the art of layering things over the top of each other so that all elements are still evident, and you can hear this here with the drum layers. Structuration is the act of giving structure to something. Here there is a plethora of sounds all brought together in a way as to give structure to this particular beat, giving it an almost futuristic sound. As will the previous Interlude’s, Interlude 7 gives us our classic Hip Hop pallet cleanser of beat and cut-up samples as we move deeper into the second half of the album.

Ostinato Variations is a nerve shredding, electronic and drum sound which shows the very definition of the Ostinato musical pattern, where a short musical pattern is repeated persistently throughout the piece. Also, ostinato is Italian for stubborn so, it could be said this short repetitive pattern is also stubborn in its repetitiveness. After having your nerves tweaked in that way, you might be in need of Interlude 8, with more of its classic Hip Hop vibes and cut-up dope samples. How you compose your music says a lot about your creativity and, Modes Of Composition shows just that with a very heavy, pounding beat alongside a wealth of multi-layered sounds. The vibe of this one is so heavy it literally vibrates you to the very core of your being. Interlude 9 provides a welcome boom bap Hip Hop, head clearing vibe from that heaviness.

Homophonic is very much an electronic sound fest with a drum beat but, as with other tracks this reflects a specific musical texture which, in this case, is based on Homophonic or chordal music where the chords move together at the same speed. Interlude 10 now provides us with another brief reminder of the foundation of the music this album is built on. Contrapuntal Sketch is another track that merges electronic vibes with a heavy bassline. This sounds very much like a mixture of electro and John Carpenter and reflects the contrapuntal musical texture of using two contrasting melodic lines with different rhythm patterns. Heavy pounding drums and horns catapult us into Modal Framework, very much a headbanger vibe there are some orchestral elements that give this one a version on the Hip Hop soundtrack sound. This one reflects the type of music that uses modes in place of the more traditional harmonies.

Interlude 11 takes us back to a more electro vibe for our Hip Hop pallet cleanse and wiping the slate clean prior to listening to how the layers of sound, within a piece of music, interact on Interweaving Patterns. Here we have drums and different electronic sounds all weaved together to create a cohesive track which, once again, has a kind of soundtrack vibe running through it. Interlude 12 hits, for the penultimate interlude, to reset our minds to the classic Hip Hop vibe before Contrasted blasts into our ears with pounding drums and electronic sounds alongside this contrasting, dull repeating sound that acts like a weird siren trying to draw your attention away from heavy sound you want to nod your head to. The drumbeat takes a back seat on Schematics as the synthesizer sound steps to the forefront. This electronic soundscape takes you back to the work of Kraftwerk and the sound that inspired the electro sound of Hip Hop.

Time for one last Hip Hop drumbeat and cut-up samples to get you buzzing on Interlude 13 and then we draw back into The Presence Of Sound with a drum heavy track that sounds almost fractured in its initial sound until you realise that fractured sound is some kind of string instrument, tricking your ears and, for a brief moment, your mind too. With the focus on sound, now our only awareness, the final track Solfeggio treats us to a solid banger of a beat that makes you wanna get up and bounce around or, at the least, nod your head. There is also a more orchestral sound backing this which also holds your attention and reflects the ancient Solfeggio tones that were used from the 8^th century up to 1600’s. The original six note scale and the associated frequencies are said to keep the mind, body and spirit in perfect harmony.

 

Overall, what can I say about this beat tape?

It once again demonstrates the quality and creativeness of Chess Moves as a producer. Across this entire album there are is such a mix of styles and vibes that all originate from what Hip Hop producers and DJ’s did so well in digging in the crates of old long lost vinyl to resurrect those tunes and give them a new lease of life in a new genre of music.

But, more than just showing his expertise as a producer this album also shows how much Chess Moves knows about music itself by creating beats around different musical textures as well as styles and influences. What this does is demonstrate that it pays to know your music in depth so that you can create sampled music that reflects the style and texture of music that has been created for centuries. For instance, Contrapuntal or counterpoint was a musical style used by Johann Sebastian Bach in his compositions. Reflecting these differing musical styles and textures here, on what is far from a classical music album, shows a desire to show how Hip Hop influenced music can be just that and so much more. Chess moves has a knowledge and understanding of creating music that far expands on what I have heard done before. Even bringing in the ancient solfeggio tones is amazing, and I could have written a whole page just to explain what that is all about.

Future Crates 2 is not just a journey through beats inspired by Hip Hop music and the art of crate digging. Future Crates is a deep exploration of the association Hip Hop music has with the very roots of music itself. It might actually be future crates for future generations to dig in but, I can never see these crates going dusty anytime soon. There is a far deeper musical aspect to this beat tape than just being music to listen and be inspired by.

The future aspect of the album is also reflected in the artwork by Sentinal One which has this 2000AD, mega city One vibe about it.

This is one to listen to and make your own mind up about but, I have to say that I have learnt a lot about music in the research for this review which has opened my mind up somewhat.

Future Crates 2 is out on Bandcamp now and everywhere else on 14^th April.

My humble thanks to Chess Moves for sending this one over to me.

 

And on that 432hz note,

I’m out,

Steve.

LINKS

The only link you need for Future Crates 2 and Chess Moves:

https://linktr.ee/ChessMoves