Interview: Oxygen (of Soundsci)
Thursday 4th April was cold in Bristol (UK), unseasonably so, but word was there was a special little something going on that night, bringing a bit of heat to the occasion. That something was Edan and Oxygen, fresh over in the UK for only a few dates together, including this Read more »
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Review: Melanin 9 – Magna Carta (2012)
Funereal and moody, with a conscious approach to street-level topics wrapped in sharp and eloquent wordplay, UK emcee Melanin 9's official debut album, Magna Carta, delivers a mature and serious sound. Inspired by the golden era of hip hop and UK emcees like Blak Twang, Phi Life Cypher and Jehst, Melanin Read more »
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Review: DOOM at Village Underground (London)
Though London puts on enviable amounts of hip hop, it's almost always in the standard rock-gig format - two or three support acts and then the headliner, all finishing by about midnight. For DOOM's latest appearance in London, Soundcrash decided to mix things up a little and treat us to a Read more »
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Review: Kid Sundance – Kid’s Colors
From Eindhoven, the Netherlands, dj, producer, co-founder of The Boomoperators, Kid Sundance surprised many hip hop fans over the years with his collaborations with the likes of Dudley Perkins, Busy Bee and remixing Ennio Morricone. Now, years later, Kid Sundance finally felt the time to drop his debut LP, Kid’s Colors on the Read more »
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Review: Brother Ali – Mouring in America and Dreaming in Color
“This is not just a new album, but a new chapter. There’s a kind of democratic reawakening in people at this point in time. I was really looking to take these topics and really hit them hard. To try to open ears and hearts and invite people to take some Read more »
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Review: Brous One – Un Momento En El Tiempo (2012)
Brous One is a young beatmaker from Santiago, Chile inspired by 90s boom bap and jazzy styled beats. I like to think of him as the Chilean Pete Rock, and listening to his debut album, the reasoning for that comparison becomes clear. Brous resuscitates golden era hip hop and reanimates Read more »
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Review: J Dilla – Rebirth of Detroit (2012)
If you’re like me, your cynical-senses tingle when you hear the words “posthumous release”. Its hard to shake the image of label execs rummaging through an artist's tapes for anything remotely sell-able. Thankfully the newest J Dilla release, "Rebirth of Detroit", is no cheap cash-grab. Read more »
Review: B. Dolan – House of Bees Vol. 2 (2012)
So many mixtapes suck, you get one or two strong tracks buried in ten to twelve half-developed verses over radio-friendly beats. On "House of Bees Vol. 2", B. Dolan and Buddy Peace don’t waste any time with fillers. There’s a solid foundation of songs that could make up a full-length Read more »
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Review: Perry Porter & ICBM – Paper Moon (2012)
Paper Moon, the first full-length collaborative album from Sleep Steady's Perry Porter and French producer ICBM feels like it could have been two records. The first is sample-driven from that 2002 conscious-rap style, the other is a more synth oriented and hits a lot harder. Both suit Perry Porter's chilled intonation Read more »
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Review: heRobust – Late Night / Morning After (2012)
Atlanta based experimental beatmaker heRobust recently dropped two free albums on the always dope and boundary pushing label Saturate Records. Ever since his amazing debut LP "Albumin", I've been anticipating more glitched up beats from the farthest outlying planets of the hip hop galaxy. Read more »
Review: Krate Krusaders – When the Needle Drops (2012)
There’s a lot to admire in the workman-like attitude and banging hip hop beats of UK production duo Krate Krusaders’ second release “When the Needle Drops”, even if it serves better as an introduction to the many featured Read more »
Review: Amon Tobin – ISAM (2011)
In Amon Tobin's own words, "Anyone looking for jazzy breaks should look elsewhere at this point or earlier. It's 2011 folks, welcome to the future." In some regards, his latest release 'Isam' may not actually be drastically different from his earlier releases, but the method and sophistication has certainly grown Read more »
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Review: DJ Adlib – Haus & Garten (2012)
DJ Adlib’s new album 'Haus & Garten' is an impressive mix of bass heavy vibes, sparse percussion and big name guest spots. This is not merely a beat tape, though. This sixth edition of Melting Music Pot’s 'Hi-Hat Club' series stands up as an instrumental album worthy of serious attention. Read more »
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Review: Nujabes – Spiritual State (2011)
I will try my best not to dissect this butterfly, for the beauty of 'Spiritual State' is intrinsic -alive, even- and requires no deconstructive analysis. See the details in the fabric yourself; they are rich, and well-woven. Nor will I meaninglessly assign stars or half-stars. his review is merely a Read more »
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Review: Mantra – Speaking Volumes (2011)
To my shame, this was the first time I had really noticed Melbourne emcee Mantra. I somehow missed his debut 'Power of the Spoken', and although I'd heard his guest appearances on Chasm's 'Beyond the Beat Tape' and his work with Diafrix and Urthboy, for whatever reason the name didn't Read more »
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Review: P.sus – Sky Rhythms (2011)
P.sus' dreamy drift through the cosmos, 'Sky Rhythms', will please fans of piano-based hip hop and the softer side of the Japanese beat scene, but may just be a little too spaced-out to grab you at first listen. Based out of Pittsburgh, P.sus' approach on 'Sky Rhythms' draws a bit from Read more »
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Review: Bullion – Magic Was Ruler (2011)
Through a hazy weave of richly layered samples and warbling synth-based loops, Bullion's 2011 release 'Magic Was Ruler' plays in the territory somewhere between Dam Funk and David Byrne. A treat for the sample heads, lovers of the stranger side of future beats, and the musical oddballs among you. Over every successive Read more »
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Review: The Stoops & JSquared – StoopSquared (2011) (+ Free Download)
The New-new-digital-soul-hop style, borrowing bits and pieces of 90s r'n'b, 60s soul, and modern bass-heavy production technique should be, by all rights, a big goddamn deal. For now it's not, but hopefully releases like this one won't get lost in the mix once pop-radio gets a hold of it, gives Read more »
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Review: The Funk League – Funky as Usual (2011)
The boom bap sound is silky and irresistable on 'Funky as Usual', the upcoming record from French duo Jackson Jazz and DJ Suspect as The Funk League. But depending how you feel about throwbacks to old school hip hop, you'll either break your neck from the classic head-nodding grooves or dislocate Read more »
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Review: Elemint – Brain Food LP (2011)
The 'Brain Food LP' from Indianapolis native Elemint sits comfortably somewhere between People Under the Stairs, Looptroop Rockers or The Sound Providers. Sometimes upbeat and summery, sometimes heavy and head-nodding, but always relating back to jazz-hop, the album is a great introduction to Elemint’s brisk and energetic thinking-man lyrics. 'Brain Read more »
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Review: DJ Shadow – The Less You Know, The Better (2011)
Dipping into 'The Less You Know, The Better' is a reluctant experience. After the dreck that was 2006’s 'The Outsider', even fans of DJ Shadow weren’t exactly clambering for his new record. The beatsmith and king-of-digging, lauded for his influential album 'Endtroducing' in 1996, and known to general audiences for Read more »
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Review: J-Live – S.P.T.A. (Said Person Of That Ability) (2011)
Unlike a lot of veterans still "on the scene" today; J-Live seems to be improving with each new release. Top notch production, as always, and the lyrical content and interesting subject matter of this album was compelling enough to keep me entertained - unlike a lot of today's "Golden Era" Read more »
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Review: Exile – 4TRK Mind (2011)
I’m not going to break down every reason why I connected with this album. Really, all I can tell you is, I did. Sitting there in my living room, unsure of what to expect out of Exile as a recording artist; I heard his trademark production quality, accompanied by Read more »
Review: People Under The Stairs – Highlighter (2011)
As many of you may already know, People Under The Stairs are one of the premiere independent hip hop groups from Los Angeles, CA. They may actually have visited your home town more times than their own homes over this past decade. Read more »
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