Hyvää Joulua - beats, breaks & big smiles vol. 3.5

Since 2007 I have put up a little collection of so-called alternative Christmas songs around this time every year. It has looked exactly the same every time, but this year I decided to add 2 tracks to it. Wanna check it out and prepare for the arrival of that bearded guy? Then click here to download it.

Hesher

Hesher

Review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an actor that just seems to get better and better. Not all of his movies are that good though. Hesher is a promising movie that after a while feels like most indie movies out there. And even though there are some good acting from Gordon-Levitt and Rainn Wilson, the movie isn't really going anywhere. And even though there are some good actors in it, they have a crude, predictable and quite uninteresting script to work with. Too bad, because on paper it could have been good.

Juan Deuce & Falside - The Mechanics EP

Listening to this EP was quite a rollercoaster. I loved the opening track Guts and was sure I was in for a treat. The beginning of the second track was promising, but after the first 40 seconds it all changed for me. At first I couldn't say why but after a few listens I kind of began to understand it. I don't like Juan Deuce's rapstyle. Don't get me wrong, it's really nothing wrong with it. For me it just feels like he has overdosed on his own influences. And finally I really got why I had a problem with this album. It feels like Juan hasn't really found his own style yet, which makes it feel like he sounds like a different person on each track. I kind of feel Falside's productions from time to time, but I don't think that this is an EP for me. This attempt to mix indie hop hop of today and 90's boom bap is sadly a hit and miss for me. I'm sure though that these guys can come up with good stuff in the future.

Rating: 2/5

Soundtrack to Week 47

AbSUrd @ Dead Magazine

Fans of AbSUrd and Murmur Breeze? Then check out this interview that I just did with him for DEAD Magazine. Check it out here: http://www.deadmagazine.de/2011/11/26/absurd-%E2%80%93-yet-reasonably-logical/.

Factor - Factor & the Chandeliers EP

Factor is without a doubt one of the most productive producers out there today. It seems like there is always a new beat by the Canadian to enjoy. But even though he has released albums for many years now, it's not until now that we get to hear a completely instrumental record from him. And I for one have been looking forward to this one. I consider him to be one of the finest producers around and I've been hoping to hear his melodies and beats take centre stage and really shine. Factor & the Chandeliers EP is a good example of just how versatile he is as a musician. We get straight up beats, soulful dreams melodies, upbeat productions and shoegaze and he makes it all work. I hope we get more instrumental installments from this man in the future. This one is a keeper for sure.

Rating: 4/5

Snowtown

Snowtown

Review: 

A couple of friends have mentioned this movie lately so I thought I ought to check it out. Snowtown is based on a true story about the Snowtown Murders that took place in South Australia in the 90's. I usually don't get very emotionally affected by movies, but this one took its grip on me with its unvarnished and brutal portrayal of the people involved in the murders. At the same time as I got my stomach in knots, I was also taken by the great acting and the beautiful craftwork that made this film one of the most interesting ones I've seen in quite a while. See it, but remember, it's not a feelgood movie.

Busdriver - Kiss Me Back to Life

New video from Busdriver's upcoming album Beaus$Eros. Even though I'm really looking forward to it, I have to say that this is probably one of the worst Busdriver songs I've ever heard. I happened to post this one yesterday before it was officially released so for you who saw my post but couldn't watch the video then, today you can.

Lateef the Truthspeaker - Firewire

This album was really long overdue. Lateef the Truthspeaker has been around for many many years producing classic material as a part of Latyrx, work with Chief Xcel and as a member of the legendary Quannum Projects but haven't released a solo album until now. Lateef has always been one of my favourite emcees and it's always a blessing to hear him flow on a track. On Firewire he kills on every single track, and shows us once again just what a range he has both as an emcee and as a singer. The downside to the album might be that it's a little too fragmented somehow. All songs are good but there's no real thread throughout the album which would have been nice. But none the less, few artists out there comes up to Lateef's level and I know I will keep listening to him for years to come. I've also heard rumours that there might be a new Latyrx album in the works. I can't wait.

Rating: 3.5/5

Drive

Drive

Review: It feels like I've seen every movie that Carey Mulligan has been in these last few years. I like her acting and her role in Drive is no different. This is probably one of this year's most hyped movies. Don't really know why to be honest. Sure, the cinematography is really beautiful, the acting is good and there's really nothing wrong with the direction either. The story on the other hand is quite weak and I had trouble staying focused while watching it. Far from a bad movie but the people involved have done better, Ryan Gosling (Lars and the Real Girl), Carey Mulligan (Never Let Me Go) and Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher).

Soundtrack to Week 46

David Ramos - Let the Dust Out

Today David Ramos released his limited edition cassette called La Tua Mancanza. Instead of me babbling on about it, here's what David himself has to say about it:
   David Ramos (Tommy Flew) by Davide Ramos

"The tape is finally here. It turns out that it takes forever to make a tape. Apparently the tape manufacturing industry hasn’t been this overwhelmed since the early 90′s! However, the reason I chose to make a tape for this very personal and very limited album is not to jump on some hip, nostalgia driven bandwagon. Although the nostalgia aspect of the tape combined with the theme of the record did play a role in my decision, it is not the sole purpose I chose cassette. The real intention is that I wanted this record to be listened to in its entirety at least once. For that purpose, there will be no degraded sound quality mp3′s available to skip around (sorry steve jobs). I know that not everyone has a tape player, but I do think that at least 100 people might. For those of you who do not have cassette players, if you buy this tape I will give you a future free download of my “official” release (which will contain several of the songs from the tape along with other songs). Anyways, this is probably the most personal and meaningful record that I will ever make. I wish with all of my heart that my Nonni were sitting next to me right now, and none of these songs existed. I can only hope that this music succeeds in expressing at least a fraction of the love that I feel for my Grandmother. Nonna Bella, sei il mio cuore e sento la tua mancanza ogni giorno di piu."

You can buy La Tua Mancanza here.

bulldose - Bull's Eye Caramba

Been listening a bit to Bull's Eye Caramba by German producer bulldose lately. After my first listen I really felt the album, but I have to say that after a couple of listenings I began to get bored. It's not bad, far from it. It just feels like it's lacking something in the long run to really capture my attention. Always nice with some new discoveries though, and I will keep my eyes on this guy in the future.

Rating: 2.5/5

Sadistik & Kristoff Krane - Prey for Paralysis

Listening to music all by yourself in the middle of the night sometimes lend something extra to the experience. The mood of the melodies can intensify and the lyrics can become more vibrant and relevant. Listening to Prey for Paralysis at 3 AM while sitting at work was one of those experiences. Emcees Sadistik and Kristoff Krane have teamed up with musician Graham O'Brien to create a solid album spanning over 10 songs. Both Sadistik and Kristoff have really strong personal styles that works very well together. One thing that I like about them is that they don't use their technical skills on the mic to show off. Instead they use them to create strong and versatile songs. Together with Graham they have made a personal an interesting record whose only weakness really lays in it's short format. And even that is quite refreshing in a time when most albums go on for way too long.

Rating: 3.5/5

Virtue & DJ Emoh Betta - Never Made It to O'Briens

New EP from Virtue & DJ Emoh Betta. I'm sorry to start off by saying that I'm disappointed. I mean these two guys have made one of this year's best albums if you ask me, with Following Wild. This one just feels unfinished somehow. There are a few gems here such as Been Since, APNDX and p(eye)ckupl(eye)n. But things such as the first 80 seconds of Igloo is just terrible and should never have been allowed to leave the studio. It might sound a bit harsh, but it's just because I know that these guys can do so much better and should be above releasing crappy drunken intros as that. All in all I find this EP a bit of a let down, but I'm sure we'll hear more amazing songs from them in the future.

Rating: 2.5/5

Soundtrack to Week 45

Milo - I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here

I love when you run across artists and records that you never heard about before, and end up really liking it. Milo is one of those artists and I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here is on of those records. There are plenty of so-called nerd rappers out there nowadays. People making records about Star Wars, board games, libraries and video games. Unfortunately most of them makes that their gimmick, sort of hipster nerd rappers. That's what's so refreshing about I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here. Sure, Milo talks about a lot of the same subjects, but he's doing it in a very casual everyday way. That makes the nerd part of it, if you want to call it that, more real and more relevant in some way. Of course none of this would matter if he didn't have skills. Milo is a really nice emcee with clever lyrics and a impressive flow. On this mixtape he's also picked beats by people like fLako, Shlohmo, Flying Lotus, Com Truise and Madlib to rhyme over which is a really nice match. One of the best records I've heard in quite a while to be honest. You can download it on his Bandcamp for free, just click here.

Rating: 4/5

Virtue & DJ Emoh Betta - Been Since

Brand new video from Virtue & DJ Emoh Betta. The track is taken from their EP Never Made it to O'Briens that drops tomorrow.

Hobs Sputnik - Satellite Strange

I never got around to reviewing this album when it dropped in the end of August, but better late than never I suppose. Hobs Sputnik is this cat who's been around for a bit now releasing songs here and there, but this year it was time to drop Satellite Strange, his debut album. And what can I say? Well, I guess I both have some good and bad things to say about it. It is a solid album featuring a lot of my favourite emcees over some overall killer beats. Hobs has a distinct voice that might not be something for everyone, but I like it. What I must say though is that I think that he has gone a bit over the top when it comes to guests on the album. If I counted correctly it's 21 different guest emcees on 19 tracks. Like I said earlier, a lot of them are favourites of mine so no complaints there. I think the downside to having all of these guests is that Hobs himself seems to be lost in the mix sometimes. There is of course nothing wrong with doing what he's done here, but on a proper debut album I wish that an artist would take center stage, and not risk making the record sound more like some kind of compilation than a real album. With all that being said I have to say that I like the record, and I'm looking forward to see what he will do in the future.

Rating: 3/5

Yarhkob - Transmissions

Australian based producer Yarhkob who some people might recognize from the experimental noise rock band Injured Ninja has now released a solo EP. Transmissions is 7 songs of diverse drum 'n' bass. It's all quite good, but I can't help feeling that there is something missing. It's like Yarhkob haven't quite decided what he wants to do on the EP. At times it feels like he wants to do really dirty and gritty beats, but at the same time he puts an equal amount into making dreamy melodies. The end result is that it never really gets dark and hard or really melodic and laidback. It's obvious that he's got talent and I'm sure he could come up with some really good stuff. But then he has to decide what it is that he wants to make first.

Rating: 2.5/5

Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian

Review: I know. It's a remake of Conan the Barbarian from 1982 for God's sake. It's not meant to be a masterpiece. But I mean, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a better job at playing Conan than Jason Momoa. Jason is basically just here doing the same role as he did in Game of Thrones. And Rose McGowan? Worst acting I've seen by anyone in a long time. Lots of blood though, but the effects are really lame and the movie bored me after about 3 minutes. Waste of time.

Kaigen - Re: bloomer

I have to start out by saying sorry to Kaigen. I haven't read all the translated lyrics to the album so I won't talk to much about the content. But that being said, this is the kind of music that in many ways ignores language barriers. Even though I don't speak a word of Japanese I've always been into Japanese hip hop. I used to be a big fan of names like Buddah Brand, Rhymester, King Giddra, ECD and of course DJ Krush. I can't really remember when I first heard Kaigen, but it seems he's always been there in the background these last few years. After work with for example Curse ov Dialect and his collaboration with Meiso it's now time for Kaigen to release an album in his own name. And it's a solid album. I love his flow, and the production made by amongst others Jel, Thavius Beck and Kaigen himself is definitely my cup of tea. On Re: bloomer he has also invited some really great names such as Ceschi, Awol One, 2Mex and Myka 9 to guest on some tracks. And even though it at times is distracting to hear the clash between English and Japanese, it is the kind of distraction that is welcome. I love that language doesn't have to stop creative people to work together and Re: Bloomer is a good example of that. If you never really given Japanese hip hop a chance, I think that this album is a great introduction.

Rating: 3/5

A Band of Buriers - We All Give In [Tupac]

Brand new video from A Band of Buriers. Amazing as always! I think I'm a bit in love with these guys.

papervehicle - papervehicle

What?! Have you missed out on papervehicle?? Shame on you! But no fear, it's not too late. Thanks to the good people at decorative stamp you can now get your hands on the re-release of their debut album papervehicle. The album came out originally in 2007 as a limited edition self-released CD of just 100 copies. The album was a true beauty when it first came out, and it's still just as good. If I had to name my 10 favourite artists that has come out these last 5 years, papervehicle would be on that list for sure. Enough talk now. Do yourself a favour, go to http://decorativestamp.org/album/papervehicle and get yourself a copy. You will not only get 16 great songs. You will also get an 90 page digital book to accompany the album. edited by jamesreindeer and featuring an extensive introduction by the man himself, as well as an in-depth interview with papervehicle themselves, detailed production notes and memories from the group for each song, a complete lyrics transcription of the entire album, as well as exclusive photographs taken during the making of the album. And all this for £6. Go ahead now!

Soundtrack to Week 44

Two (!) Reviews of Cloudy October's The Metal Jerk

Two reviews? What the hell is he on about now? Well, it's really quite simple. My dear friend Jessika and I were talking a while ago that it would be fun to let two people review the same record, especially if one of the reviewers doesn’t usually listen to that kind of music. I think it might be refreshing to hear what a so-called outsider has to say about a genre he or she doesn’t listen to on a daily basis. So that's what we've done here. Two reviews of the same album and neither one is more correct than the other. After all, what it all boils down to is personal taste.

Jessika's review:

Until just recently, until I became friends with Michael that is, I thought that hip hop was just a noisy business with a lot of yo yo bullshit, but thanks to my dear friend I´m starting to realize that it is a bit more than that. I will hopefully get there and I´m willing to make an effort and maybe in the end I might be a home girl wannabe with a hardcore rock’n’roll disability. So read this review and know that I don´t have a clue and this is my attempt to fill that blank canvas.

I started off listening to the lyrics and I guess Cloudy October got what he wanted, it was a total mindfuck. Usually when this happens you get the picture after a while but this is just what I just said: a mindfuck literally. All I get is this yada yada about how great he is at what he is doing and everybody else is shite. The whole of The Metal Jerk's lyrics seems to be just “words, words, words” as our dear Hamlet would say. Although I must say that Hairline Fracture that deals with mid life crisis and hair loss made me smile a bit.

Moving on to the music in itself I feel better. To me it’s a nice mixture of old, new and a nice variety of different music genres. There is a nice blend of jazz, reggae and lots of guitars, which is, by the way, my favorite part. This is a new uplifting experience for me that use to think that almost all hip hop sounds the same. The music is the reason why this album gets 3 out of 5.

Michael's review: 

I first heard of Cloudy October about a year ago when I saw the video for his track Lowerface.  I really dug the production on that one, and felt that overall the beats on The Aviator is Dead were good. One year later now it's time for his debut album The Metal Jerk. Once again I'm feeling the production on it. I also like that he's got a nice flow and is really articulate. Too many emcees out there today mumble their lyrics, or are just not concentrating enough to really come off sounding good. The little downside with being articulate on a song though, is that you have to have really good lyrics to present. Unfortunately I think that's where Cloudy October's weakness lies. Not that his lyrics are bad. They are just really unimaginative and time after time you realize that you heard these kind of lyrics many times before. I agree with Jessika though that Hairline Fracture for example has some entertaining lyrics. But what makes that song really good is it's old school rocksteady production. And that is a good example of where Cloudy October's real strength lies. In the production.

Jessika's rating: 3/5
Michael's rating: 3/5



                     

Hail Mary Mallon - Grubstake

Not really a great song, but I'm happy everytime I get to hear Aesop Rock on any kind of track.

J-Zone - Root for the Villain

I really want to get my hands on this book!!!

Mathas - White Sugar

Maybe I shouldn't post this video considering what a sugar junkie I am, but the song and video deserves it. Want to hear more from Mathas, go to his Bandcamp page.