Blade Dance
By
Remi Rorschach
Back in September of 2022 I reviewed the Breaking and
Entering by Remi Rorschach, which was released on the Good Darts label. Now,
Remi is back on Good Darts with his follow up release, Blade Dance.
As with his previous release, Blade Dance promises to be a
mix of styles across ten hard hitting tracks. Once again Remi is joined by
Slippalong Chervascus who provides cuts on the album and there are also live
instrumentation courtesy of Nick Davis (Bass), Oli Genn-Bash (Sax) and Mike
Brewin (Electric Guitar). There are appearances from PG Tips, Lizard Flex,
Skwidzilla and Dashwung Slugger, while Remi not only performs his raps but, as
with Breaking and Entering, writes, produces and engineers the project.
So, without further ado, join me on my journey through Blade
Dance…
It all kicks of with the cuts, heavy electronic bass and a
pounding boombap drum sound of Avin A Bubble, this one is a pure assault
on the senses in everyway possible. That heavy sound even seems to over the
vocals at points with Slippalong’s deadly cuts slicing into your mind, all this
as Remi pulls no punches and unloads by mixing up the styles and flows which
display a razor-sharp wordplay and a warning to anyone stepping up they must be
having a laugh cos ya gonna be left under piles of rubble. Bass and drums are
the foundation of the sound on Buzziness with and electronic vibe that
almost stings your fragile nerves. There is still a Hip Hop vibe to this one as
Remi opens up with a reality-based look at what life is about, a reality check
if you will. There is silver lining here is simply looking at you gotta do what
you gotta do, end of.
Here Be Dragons brings a more Drill/Trap edge to this
but, the drums, guitars and orchestral notes have a more laid-back edge to it. The
deeper edge here are the dragons, these seem to be the things we struggle with,
addictions that grip us and change who we are, it’s even the violence and pain
that is all around that gets the better of us. All the while the system seeks
to keep us all down, never really tackling the problems but, allowing them to
take control. Hash Tags features Oli The Saxmachine and PG Tips and has
drums, cuts, sax and electric guitar that gives this one a reflective deep edge
to it. As you listen to the stories here you wonder if this a reflection of
inner-city life or more of a look into experiences of Remi himself, perhaps it’s
both. The track ends with an extended guitar solo from PG Tips that elevates
this one. Life is not easy thing when your written off and given no support to
lift yourself up. Red Fountain has that Drill/Trap sound with an essence
of Tarrantino and Samurai movies thrown in as Remi goes in as sharp as a katana
on this one. It’s all about a verbal reflection of those crazy movies there
every cut of the blade is met with the accompanying fountain of red mist as
blood erupts from the victim.
It's back to the Hip Hop vibe with Cash Mountain but,
there is a faint grime element mixed in too. Here Remi is almost reflecting the
likes of Tony Montana as he details that it’s all about the money. Making the
mountains of cash and using it lift you up to dizzying heights, while everyone
around you wonders exactly how you’re doing it but, how you’re doing it is not
important, it’s all about the fact you have it and what you can do with it.
Sirens herald a return to the drill vibe with a heavy piano sound on Boss
Level. Mario and computer game vibes permeate this one as Remi explains
that it all about levelling up to the boss, being the best you can be. There is
also that element of frustration where you keep aiming high but, can’t quite
get there and anger, even rage creeps in and you almost forget it’s just a game
because, all you wanna do is play to win. Back to the pounding boom bap drums,
guitar, cuts and etheric vocal samples on OPS, which has a head nod vibe
on what is that posse cut vibe. Remi, Lizard Flex, Skwidzilla and Dashwung
Slugger drop verse after verse of slick wordplay that is unrelenting and has
one aim, which is to get you bouncing, so enjoy this one.
The penultimate track is Vulneratus Non Victus, this
is a Latin phrase, which translated into English means Wounded but not
conquered. Featuring PG Tips the guitars, keys and drums give this one an
upbeat head nod sound. The vibe from this one really seems to say that going
into anything you are not going to come out unscathed, you won’t win every
battle along the way, and that’s what it’s all about is walking forward no
mater what. The album rounds off with Start A Cult, drums keys, and
electric guitar give this a rock rap sound, even with that faint trap sound in
the background. With skillful wordplay and turns of flow, Remi seems to be
saying here that its not about creating something that gives you a kind of cult
following, it’s all about being individual and doing your thing and being
authentic and giving the people what they want.
So, first off, the thing that strikes you initially is that
Blade Dance is very much a hardcore style album. Remi has crafted this
unflinching and unrelenting release that pulls no punches when it comes to
looking at life from the view of todays youth on the streets. It is a far more
Hip Hop influenced release than Breaking and Entering but, still has enough
variety of styles to appeal to wide audience.
The more you listen to this, there is a sense that there is
a deeper meaning behind the album. I know that everyone has their own life experience
that colours how they interpret things but, as much as this album speaks on
life and a view of that life from a particular viewpoint, it also speaks on the
self and you view and react to what happens around you. There is a lot of anger
and upset in the world at the moment and when you are viewing the world through
a lens of the troubled self then you will see things different to most and
sometimes the anger and a desire to let go of it, is understandable just as in
a way as if you were hitting a punchbag at the gym, except you do it through
music. That was just a personal viewpoint…
Back to the album.
The album has a very well-crafted sound that gives a
polished foundation for the raw, gritty and unflinching vocal style Remi brings
and it works very well. But, one thing I really liked about the album is that
Remi uses a lot of live instruments to give the album more of a musical edge
and for me those live instruments just elevate the sound somewhat. The
musicians all did a cracking job here so much respect to them. There is also
that one posse style cut which is one of those tracks that is really for the
listeners, and everyone does a superb job on this, showing their skills and
keeping the adrenaline levels up. Remi also keeps you guessing all through the
album, which flows very well by the way, there are times you wonder if he is
simply venting his anger and other times you get this is all coming from
personal experience but, you do wonder which is the basis of the album until
you have listened to the entirety of the album and you realise it comes from
inside the mind of Remi Rorschach and it all has basis in reality.
Overall, Blade Dance is a solid and hardcore album with dark
undertones that reflects the struggles of life in the inner-city environment
where it seems hard to rise out of those tough spaces. Where anger, pain and
addiction colours the walls everywhere you look. Through music the album gives
you a look at that world and how one man stood up to show that world and his
journey through it to where he is now.
Blade Dance is out now on the Good Darts label with digital
and CD formats available.
On That note,
I’m out, see ya.
Steve.
LINKS
Get the album on CD from Good Darts Here:
Remi Rorschach Website:
https://www.remirorschach.com/?fbclid=IwAR3kcklaw736F6v9sNT9n3ibwsmQ2Y-tPnhnoeK7fUp8LEsmPsBq1zvafIw
Stream on Spotify Here:
VIDEOS
Blade Dance - Jabbathakut promo mix
Red Fountain
OPS
You can find more videos from Blade Dance at Remi's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@remirorschach9189/featured
