Off Planet
By
Chrome Plus
I have always had a bit of thing when it comes to Hip Hop
backed by live instruments, something that goes all the way back to Stetsasonic
and when I first heard that Norwich emcee/producer/DJ Chrome was doing just
that, it’s fair to say I was a little excited. Then in November of 2021 it was
my pleasure to review the debut single by Chrome Plus, Popcorn b/w Pieces Will
Align.
Now fast forward to today and, with the imminent release of
the debut album from Chrome Plus, I get to sink my ears into that album, Off
Planet. If you missed the original review of the single, let me just let
you know who Chrome Plus is, Michael (Chrome) Walkeden, Phil Critten, Tom Hanna
and Justin Bennitt, and what these guys do is mix up live bass and guitars with
additional production elements and, of course, a dose of cuts from Chrome and
JB.
Off Planet features some addition production from Mr
Fantastic (ae Productions) and Rockid Sound Machine, plus some additional cuts
and scratches from Technical J and Mr Wonderful. Mixed and mastered by JB, the
album is released through AE Productions and features cover art from Lucy Alice
Winter and design by Ian C Taylor.
Now, with all that said and with a sizeable seventeen tracks
(including three remixes and an alternate version) to get through, join me as I
go Off Planet with Chrome Plus…
Note: I am working from the mix for the cassette version of
the album so, this is mainly mixed together, with few breaks between the tracks
on each side so, I will write accordingly with no breaks until I flip sides. It
is also worth me noting here that the two Remixes of Gone Is The Day, that
round off the album, are exclusive to the limited cassette version and not the
vinyl, which is a great reason to grab both…
The album opens with the first single to be released, Gone
Is The Day and this is the album version as the single featured two remixes
of the track, which you will get to hear rounding off the album. Drums, guitars
and bass all merge to bring you a thumping vibe that feels like a Rock and Hip
Hop mash-up which moves the very essence of who you are. Chrome’s lyrics here
describe someone of the older generation, looking back over life while sat in
the present moment but, that present moment is a place where the good times
seem to have past and the now is a confusing place where everything is
confusing, and the sun has abandoned life to be replaced by grey clouds and
rain. However, the dark times are just a figment of the imagination of someone
who is not quite grasping the way the world around them has progressed, the
good times are still there, you just have to be open minded. With that thought
in mind we move directly into Off Planet Radio, which kind of serves as
the albums intro. We get tuned across a few random stations featuring a host of
different sounds and vibes before settling on Chrome’s Off Planet Radio intro
but, there is not time to even think about what might be next is it’s straight
into Fantastic, co-produced by Mr Fantastic, a wicked boom bap beat is
backed by heavy rock guitar, deep bass, and plenty of cuts, to create a sound
that will get you bouncing around without abandon. Chrome ups the pace on the
vocals here as he drops the kind of party banger that will have your head in
the clouds and your energy levels pushed beyond the limits of what this planet
can contain. From here we move into Popcorn (JB’s Remix), this remix of
the first single from Chrome Plus sees JB bring jazzy vibe of bass and drums,
alongside some furious cuts, to the track. This sound elevates the track and
energy into the atmosphere as Chrome spits his classic rapid-fire vocals which
uplift you even more as he breaks it down about just what Chrome Plus is all
about and what they are bringing to the party. Next up is Hole In My Pocket
and we are eased into this one but, as the sound begins to come in, there is
this feeling of an electro vibe mixed with Jean Michel-Jarre but, before we
know it a funky sound kicks in and we are getting down to the sound, which
mixes those live instruments with some electronic vibes. Here we find Chrome
looking at some aspects of life where the bigger the hole, the less we can
actually see. It might be frustrations with the music industry or money but,
the deeper into the hole w get, the harder it is to see a way forward or a way
out of the situation. The best way we can progress is to keep moving and find
our own needle and thread to seal up that hole and make a more positive way
forward the main vision. Formulate is a short musical interlude where
all those elements of Chrome Plus come together for a short, almost meditative,
expression of those live instruments. You can close your eyes for a few seconds
and feel that musical energy in its purest form. Next up we have the B-side
from the debut single, Pieces Will Align. The mix of organ notes and
drums, alongside the live guitar and bass brings the kinda sound you want to
nod your head to but, there is also this vibe that grabs your attention and
makes you want to listen. Chrome slows his pace, ever so slightly, as he
delivers a deeper message, one that seems to focus on the fractured nature of
reality and life around us. In nearly every aspect of life, entertainment and
music, there are many facets that don’t appear to fit. It is like for every
piece of perfection there is an equal or opposite imperfection. But what if we
could turn back the hands of time, find those imperfections and align all those
pieces, what then? Reverberate comes with a mix of cuts, bass, drums and
more that vibrates through your mind as Chrome continues the focus on aspects
of time but, here its all about how changing things has the potential to
reverberate a lot further that you can imagine. It’s like the theory that
changing elements of the past could affect the future, the same can be said of
many things like, if you change how, you make your music, it has the potential
to change not just your thoughts but, also those of anyone who listens to your
music. The final track of this first part of the journey culminates with Land
of the Lost, this is a DJ track that sees Chrome and JB joined by Technical
J and Mr Wonderful for a track that has a wicked drum beat over which we are
treated to a truly stunning example of turntablism from all involved, with a
little appearance from Chrome just reminding us that this is a little bit of
scratch therapy, and one that is sorely needed, in my humble opinion…
Time to flip to part two of what is already something truly
special, who knows what’s to come in the next twenty-five minutes or so. Well,
if I’m honest, I have an idea as I’ve immersed myself in this a few times
already but, you get what I’m sayin.’
Gamma Ray begins this next part of our trip with
Chrome Plus and this guitar driven instrumental has you feeling like you are
floating in zero gravity, with not a care in the world, just floating and
letting time ease by but, there is no need to chill for too long because the
bass and drums, with a little guitar, heralds the start of Be There, a
funky vibe with the kind of drum beat that gets you bouncing once more. Chrome
delivers what is a perfect expression of what it is to be in a relationship
with someone you truly love. All those ups and downs you go through and how you
support each other. I have not heard a better way of explaining how you feel
and see a relationship from your own point of view. With those thoughts seeping
into your awareness, the sound switches to another musical interlude. Is
There Anybody Out There? has a more industrial vibe about it and almost
acts as an audible pallet cleanser before the sound of Soap Box explodes
into your awareness with this huge bass sound. The drums hit hard while the
bass is eases back and the electric guitars take more to the forefront,
combining to make a sound which has a Hip Hop/Punk kinda vibe about it, and
rightly so, as Chrome steps up to sound off on all the things he sees around
him that serve to grate on his nerves. He simply says what so many of us are
feeling about society as we go about our days, and he uses his music as a way
to express those feelings and stop the pressure building too far. We are then
straight into what is probably the final original track of the album, Outpost
96 which begins with an electronic spacey kinda vibe with rapid drums,
bass, and much more besides. This instrumental track takes you beyond the
confines of the solar system and into deep space, leaving your minds to conjure
up just what you might encounter along the way. Soon, electronic guitar notes
bring you back to the here and now for a reworking of Chromes 2020 track GO! The
GO! (Chrome Plus vs Rockid Sound Machine) has a cracking sound like
mariachi vibe alongside a head nod drum beat that is just sublime. Chrome’s rapid-fire
vocals see him speak on how he approaches his music, constantly experimenting
and evolving his approach while enjoying what he does and maintaining a balance
and connection to his audience. This is such a great reworking of the original
that takes it to a whole new level while maintaining the message of the
original. Next up we have two remixes of Gone is the day, these were the two
that were recently released as the first single release from the album. First
up is Gone Is The Day (Lieu’s Future Proof Remix ft Sleeps’s Cousin),
this remix has a more guitar heavy rock vibe, which takes nothing away from the
original but, adds a little more vibrancy and a verse from Sleep’s Cousin. That
additional verse adds a little extra dimension with Sleep’s Cousin adding his
own take on the frustration of life around him, fitting perfectly with the vibe
of the track. The final track is Gone Is The Day (JB’s Transformer Remix),
This takes the original and sees JB give it a transformer scratch rework. This
creates this sound that at times seems industrial and then, gives it a far
heavier pounding Hip Hop sound, mixing things up and giving you an assault on
your senses, keeping you bouncing and breathless by the end…
I can’t sum this up right now with saying, Damn! That was
something. Now, I have been fortunate to review some stunning albums this year
and I’ve said it more than once already, I Think, But this has to be another
strong contender for album of the year. It just takes all your conceptions of
what a Hip Hop album is, blows them out the water and them puts them back
together in a way that should not fit but, it does, and it does it with aplomb.
While I was writing this there was this little thought that
occurred to me about this album, I’m not sure if it was intended or not but,
indulge me for a minute or two.
So, the album begins with this guy who appears in a pretty
dark place, confused, and possibly depressed by what he sees around him. Then,
suddenly, he lets the music in and is transported off on this wild journey
through space and time, totally changing his own awareness and understanding of
what he sees around him. His choice to let the energy of the music in, creates
a new openness within him, to such an extent that he is able to look at where
he was at the beginning, reframing his initial thoughts from two different
stand points and seeing how it now changes how he sees life’s progression, just
by changing his energy, and even when there was the addition of another voice
that was almost juxtaposed to his own views, the positive energy allowed him to
see things in a different light…
Like I say, I’m not sure if I’m just seeing that or it was
intentional but, this is what it said to me as I thought of the overall vibe of
the album.
Off Planet is truly a stunning release that perfectly merges
Hip Hop with live instruments and inspirational input from other genres, while
creating a sound that is unique to Chrome Plus. They really seem to have
cracked it, in terms of what they were intending on creating as a group. Chrome
and JB’s experience within Hip Hop, mixed with the live interments of Phil and
Tom come together in a way that just works so well. The Hip Hop vibe merging
with the vibrant energy of the live instruments allows to feel the sound on
many levels, it just seems to electrify your entire being with positive energy.
That energy is apparent throughout the album, even when Chrome is touching on
the more negative aspects of the world around us, that energy keeps raising you
up and keeps you there.
Mixing up the album with instrumental tracks and those with
Chrome’s distinctive voice, flows and wordplay, just gave it that added
dimension that meant that everything flowed and worked so well together. Yes,
you do need to go into this album without an expectation for what you’re about
to hear but, do that and I can pretty much guarantee that you are going to be
blown away by this because it gives you a dose of everything you want. In fact,
all I need now is to experience Chrome Plus live on stage, as the live music
experience is likely to be the cherry on the cake.
If you sleep on this one, you might as well stay asleep…
Off Planet is available later today, 24th May, on the always awesome ae Productions label, with digital, vinyl and cassette options available too.
My huge thanks to Chrome and Mr Fantastic for the giving me
the chance to bring you my take on this stunning slice UK dopeness…
I’ll see you when I’m next on planet earth.
Steve.
LINKS
Order from ae Productions website here:
https://www.ae-productions.co.uk/shop
Grab from Chrome Plus Bandcamp here:
https://chromeplus.bandcamp.com/album/off-planet
ChromePlus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chromeplusmusic/
ae Productions on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ae_productions_uk/
VIDEOS
Gone is the Day (Lieu's Future-Proof Remix ft Sleeps Cousin)
