Diggin’ in Outer
Space
By
KISTA
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.
So, till next time,
Peace Out.
Steve
LINKS
Grab your digital copy here:
https://kista.bandcamp.com/album/diggin-in-outer-space
Soundweight Records Website:
https://soundweightrecords.bigcartel.com/
KISTA and Soundweight Records Socials:
https://www.facebook.com/neil.k.richardson.5
https://www.instagram.com/k.i.s.t.a/
https://www.facebook.com/SoundweightRecords
https://www.instagram.com/soundweightrecords/
https://www.youtube.com/@Soundweightrecords
VIDEOS
Computer Rock (Future Shock)
Solstice
Diggin In Outer Space
