EP Review: The Red Nebula EP by Mazzini

 

Red Nebula EP

By

Mazzini

 

Dropping today on Live From The Groove is the latest offering from Mazzini, the Red Nebula EP. Mazzini is described as a Hip Hop producer who draws inspiration and influence from the world of television and film. Obsessed by vintage cinema, giving an insane attention to detail when crafting his often complex and meticulous projects. A keen purveyor of the obscure, flipping from the screen to the MPC; Mazzini builds soundscapes with running themes exploring everything from space travel to the escapades of the New Jersey Mafia. 

As with anything from the Live From The Groove label, we can expect some high grade Hip Hop vibes mixed with whatever Mazzini chooses to bring to the table, and to give you an idea of what to expect at this juncture, the EP is described, in part, as a futuristic trip, a spaced-out beats odyssey that journeys light years through soulful loops, edgy electronic elements and raw organic drums. Cinematic in the extreme, Mazzini experiments with effects from home-made guitar pedals and painstakingly carves samples from forgotten film and tv soundtracks, 90s computer games and a plethora of his own nostalgia to create a cosmic soundscape.

Not only that but, the EP also features appearances from Dweller, Scrabble and Kansul, guitar and bass from Rolly and cuts by DJ Simon C. So, this one really ramps up the expectation of something different and possibly way out there?

If you really want to get an idea of what’s in store for your ears, then join me as I take you on a journey through the EP as it comes through my ears and then filters through my consciousness…

 

As the sound of drums, electronic vibes and sonic sounds, of Lazers envelopes you, you find yourself on a launchpad with a brief sensation of expectation before being launched into the vast reaches of space, surrounded by some intricate lo-fi vibes carry you past the point of no return and on into orbit around the earth; you catch your breath as the beauty of home planet comes into full view, lit by the light of the sun. It’s not long before your attention is drawn to the cosmos beyond the earth and for a brief moment the thoughts of the universe merge with the image before you on the computer screen, brought to you by Lines In A Code. The electronic vibes and heavy drums make the veil between realities blur and the voice of crew mate Scrabble invade your scrambled awareness, his words bring thoughts of the digital age and how computer code seems to rule our lives, making it harder to distinguish just what reality we live in, is it a 3-D world or just a simulation that is generated by the lines of code in the matrix…

As your mind whirls, almost out of control, you blink hard and suddenly realise that the pounding drums, electronic vibes and sampled sounds have taken you beyond the earth’s orbit further into the galaxy beyond, and as you head ever onward you wonder just what comes After Earth? It’s not long before a head nod drum beat clears your vision, with guitar notes and some sampled sounds take you back to 80’s with electro vibe. The sound comes from crew member Dweller, a Robot, as his words seem to drift in and out of your awareness, you begin to question you existence once more; this time his words seem to twist your mind to the point where you consider the fact that you yourself may be a robotic entity, programmed to journey beyond earth, looking for a safe haven for those left on that, and in spite of its beauty, dying planet you just left.

Leaving the orbit of earth, you have seen much already, your head nods to the beat, guitar, electronic and sampled sounds of Satellites. These things come in many forms, from the manmade mechanical devices that surround the earth to the moons and space rock that orbit other planets. Your journey gives you time to think and you realise how the satellites and space junk that orbit earth and slowly becoming such a danger to the planet but, this is a passing though as your mind is drawn away from that dark thought to the wonderous visions of the satellite moons that you pass by. The sounds of piano notes draw you back to your journey and the realisation that your parabolic trajectory has brought you Intra-Venus and as things heat up, you are joined by crewman Kansul as the beat kicks in with horns and a multi-layered sound that makes you marvel at the sight before you. The extra-terrestrial vocals take you into hyperspace, beyond the confines of our solar system and on into the galaxy beyond. The final track of the EP takes us to a place that was only thought to exist in the computer game ‘Half-Life’, the borderland, which is a meeting place of dimensions, XEN, and now we find ourselves Walking on XEN. Pounding drums echo your foot falls as the electronic and sonic vibes mirror the strange sights before you on XEN and the mind bending thoughts that have you questioning, one last time, am I really in this 3-D reality or have I transcended reality and become with the digital universe, as those questions float by your consciousness, you wonder if they will be answered or perhaps an answer is now inconsequential…

 

I have said it many times before and will probably do so again but, instrumental music really does allow your consciousness to drift off into places that the world beyond, just does not allow you to go to. Red Nebula is no exception, even the three tracks with vocals from Scrabble, Dweller and Kansul, still have that element that allows you to find new worlds to explore.

What Mazzini does with Red Nebula is to blend so many elements seamlessly into a Hip Hop based journey that opens your mind to an almost infinite number of alternate realities, each of which can blend the borders of reality into a something new, even interstellar, and yet at the same time, strangely familiar.

The use of live instruments alongside a plethora of forgotten, and some not so forgotten, samples is stunning, as it brings a blank canvas to your imagination, taking you anywhere you want to go. The appearance of Scrabble, Dweller and Kansul, adds an extra dimension to thing as their vocals bring a focus for your mind to be guided to as you create your own visions upon the canvas that Mazzini places before you. The other thing about Red Nebula is that Mazzini seems to bring you a sound that not only spans across space but, also time as you are transported back to the eighties from the present and on into the future in the space of less than 25 minutes, it is a journey that is like no other, or is it?

Red Nebula is one of those EP’s that has to be heard to know where it will take you and Mazzini has done an absolutely stellar, or is that Interstellar, job here. It is definitely one I’m gonna enjoy for a long time to come.

Red Nebula by Mazzini is out on Live From The Groove today so, grab a copy (the digital version comes with an additional track, Keep Lookin' Up) and drift off beyond spacetime.

I’m gone,

Hopefully I’ll be back for next time…

Steve.

LINKS

To get you copy of the EP and all LFTG links:

https://linktr.ee/livefromthegroove

VIDEOs

The Red Nebula EP YouTube Video (Full EP):

 

 

 

 

Album Review: Kansul Everything by Kansul Culture

 

Kansul Everything

By

Kansul Culture

 

Many of you will be familiar with Dweller, Kansul and the Live from the Groove label. You might also be familiar with the Kansul Culture EP which dropped back in September of 2022; this album is the follow to that EP and expands on their creative flow.

Now, the easiest way for me to set up the review is to drop Dwellers own words on this project:

Kansul Culture is a concept born in lockdown by Dweller and Kansul. Following the Kansul Culture EP this LP presents a walk through the mind of Kansul, an anonymous M.C. who keeps his identity hidden behind a mask. Unplugging from modern society where social media followers are currency and algorithms impute value to art, Kansul Culture is the antithesis and antihero. As fiercely individual and unique as it is rebellious and creative, this album refuses to be pigeonholed. Switching lanes between genres as easily as Kansul switches from spoken words and rhyming to singing, you should sit back and prepare for a journey into the souls and minds of these two immense talents. Recorded in lockdown, Dweller would patiently craft the beats in isolation and await Kansul to send down vocal files which were slotted into each track as the album came together. Then DJ Simon C and TMB would record cuts and fire them over to be layered on top as the collective worked together remotely but connected by the creative project. When restrictions finally ended and in-person collaboration was possible, A. Lofthouse visited Dweller’s home studio to play Brass sections over selected tracks and the project was complete.

All that considered, there is only one way to truly feel this project, and that is to dive into the album. So, please join me as we look to Kansul Everything…

 

The first thing that you get a sense of is the multi-layered sound and all the elements that come together to on this album. Anymore kicks things off with a soulful sounding vibe that has drum, guitar, strings, keys, and cuts, all combined bring that soulful sound but, still with the Hip Hop roots. The static sound that crackles in the background gives the impression that you are immersing yourself in a vinyl release. Kansul switches between slick rap vocals and a sung hook as he introduces us to who he now is, not question things anymore but, more living in the moment and making that a statement. Bad D.N.A has this emotive sound that comes from a melodic beat over which is this organ sound, which has an almost eerie quality, while this ticking cymbal sound cycles through your awareness, keeping you from drifting too far.  The emotive aspect works so well as Kansul speaks on misspent youth, where the focus is on power and money, and the choices made in that pursuit so often take people down the wrong path. A head nod beat mixed with keys, xylophone, horns, and bass are the foundation for Lessons, which creates an uplifting vibe. Kansul’s cleaver lyrics, even switching to a ragga sound on the hook, to deliver a message, line by line, that relates to each lesson as it is detailed, bringing each lesson alive in your mind, and making you realise that you never stop learning on your life’s journey as every person and situation has something to teach you.

Not Listening brings more xylophone, bass, and horns that brings this chilled jazzy vibe sound. This is one of those you wanna sit back, close your eyes, and relax to. Kansul, once more, switches from sharp rap vocals to a more soulful sung hook. This one is very much a look at those people who have much to say but have never really listened throughout their life. To have an opinion on anything, you have to be some level of understanding and, or be prepared to listen and learn, don’t allow the lessons that life teaches you to fall on deaf ears; be openminded and ready to take the message onboard and grow, if you do not you will end up hollow and without a real voice. Next up is the short Kansul Culture (Interlude), a proper head nod beat with organ notes that looks at what the Kansul Culture is. Strings form the background to No Rest before the beat drops in giving you a laid-back head nod vibe. There is deep message here that really says that not matter how you seem to that closest to you, if you spend too much time dabbling in a dark life there will be no rest for you. There also seems to be a deeper message that asks you to question and look at who you truly are, because only by doing that can you express and receive positiveness in your live.

Nobody brings a sound that puts you in mind of summer days and jams, with chilled drums and keys there is a laid-back funk vine to this one. As you listen to this one you really get the sense that this one speaks to you on another lever, telling you that we are all equal, no one is better than anyone else. We might have different skills but, we all do our best to live our lives the best we can and that is what makes us equals. Heavy drums and piano vibes give a heavy sound for Lost Soul, making you want to punch the air as you listen, until the sung hook brings a slight melodic break. Here Kansul is able to go in full in full lyrical flow; bringing the soul back to the music where it is so often missing. There is the sense that the commercial music scene and making money is what really stole the soul and now it’s all about bringing that soul back. A chilled drum beat, keys and strings bring a nice mellow sound that puts back into a kick back vibe on Revolving Door. Kansul once more mixes his sharp rap vocals with a sung hook. Here he looks at how so many of the experiences we go through seem to have a similar cause and effect, giving us this feeling like we’ve been through this before but, maybe not with the sample people, it’s just the way things play out seems so similar, just like we occasionally get stuck in a revolver door, just for a while before moving on…

The penultimate track, which begins the process of bringing the album to a close is All Said And Done, a looped music box melody alongside soft strings, horns, and sparce beat creates an emotive sound that seems to touch your heart. Kansul mixes his rap vocals and sung elements to great effect here, creating a vocal vibe that emulates the music. The message here comes with this reflective air that speaks on life, how we live it and all those challenges we experience along the way; how we see our life and the choices we make is so important too. This track has an almost counselling effect to it, touching the very depths of your soul and reminding you just who you truly are and to always be that best expression of yourself. The album ends with No Place To Go, a jazzy sounding outro of horns, strings, guitar, and an upbeat drum sound. The sampled vocals hint that this is the end of the road and there is no place to go now but, it’s only a hint because this is only the end of the album and not the end of everything; I guess that where you go from here depends on your experience of what you just heard, you can put more music on or just sit and muse over what you just heard, It’s all up to you…

 

An album like Kansul Everything, gives you much to ponder as you reflect on what you just heard. On one side you have the fact that this is a journey into the mind of Kansul who brings his experiences and his own thoughts on life, to bear on this album, taking the listener to many different places and allowing them to experience many emotions along the way but, on the other hand, what Kansul does is to give you enough information to also look inside yourself too so, as much as this is an album about Kansul, it is also an invitation to look into a mirror that reflects you own life back at you.

Kansul does not do this alone however, and Dweller crafts some soulful and emotive soundscapes that, not only provide the perfect platform for Kansul’s words but, these are musical emotions that help create that audible mirror for you look into and to feel everything as you progress from track to track. The fact that this was all put together during the lockdown period and only finished off later, makes you realise just how amazing music is and how it can bring out the best in people, during the process of writing and recording, even though Kansul and Dweller were miles apart, and how they, by putting their heart and soul into this, are able to have such an effect on the listener.

Kansul Everything might seem like a jazzy, funky, conscious Hip Hop album but, it is more than that, it  is a genre and vibe breaking album that erases the borders between genres, time and space; bringing a sound and narrative created by two that is so easily associated and enjoyed by the many.  

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

Kansul Everything is out today, digital only, on Live From The Groove and when you download the album from Bandcamp you will receive the bonus remixes: Revolving Door (Kista Remix), Anymore and No Rest (Remixed by Kuartz) and Bad D.N.A (DJ OP1 Remix), so what more of an incentive do you need to grab a copy…

 

On that note,

I’m out, see ya…

Steve.

LINKS

Get you copy from Bandcamp Here:

https://livefromthegroove.bandcamp.com/album/kansul-everything

Live From The Groove Website:

https://www.livefromthegroove.com/

Live From The Groove Instagram:

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

Kansul Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kansul_music/

Live From The Groove Linktr.ee:

https://linktr.ee/livefromthegroove

 

VIDEOS

Kansul Everything (Full Album)