DJ Shadow "Endtroducing..." (1996)

DJ Shadow is an American producer from California who's debut "Endtroducing..." has landed on many "top lists" in Hip Hop music. Credited for establishing Instrumental Hip Hop its often held in high regard as an important and influential record. Having not given it much attention beyond one or two listens in the past I decided to give this one a go again and after much time spent enjoying it I have to say retrospect has me at a disadvantage.

Being familiar with many of the characteristics this record may of helped to shape and inspire, there are a few traits its posses that I might take for granted. The instrumental aspect was a first at the time and many of the techniques used in production are so commonplace now you have to put yourself in the mindset of 96. DJ Shadow as a lot of unorthodox sample material throughout the record, even including Metallica's "Orion" on "The Number Song" and scaling back from the accompaniment of an MC he pushes for daring and unique sounds leaning towards Jazz, Soul and Psychedelia.

The sampling, cuts and arrangements are captivating and progressing lucidly with a free flow as DJ Shadow lets the sampling art-form do so much more than the stagnant repetition were used to. With many layers of samples each song can journey through an idea while changing form and evolving thanks to the intricate detailing of sounds and shifting between different samples which fade in and out of the tracks effortlessly, creating organics through traditional rigid music.

A quote from the record itself, something along the lines of "The music's coming through me" summarizes the record in a nutshell. Whats so remarkable is how lucid and organic the chemistry in the sampling is. Hip Hop has often sliced great moments, or reinvented them with new words and a new groove, but here on this record the original songs are barely reconcilable as the choice arrangement and reconstruction takes new forms that don't resemble the origin.

Despite now "getting it" I feel that the records diversity in theme creates some less favored vibes and moments. In the jazzy chilled out, laid back Trip Hop moments there are timeless tunes. In other songs the mood shifts rigidly into less engaging songs that break up the flow. Its a loaded gun with plenty to offer, but some of that just wasn't quite on my wavelength. Its also interesting to read about how well this record was received in the UK considering this record breaks down Hip Hop in similar ways to Trip Hop which was flourishing at the time. Anyway, terrific record which I can really appreciate, I'm hoping the less favored moments will grow on me with time.

Favorite Tracks: Changeling, What Does Your Soul Look Like, Midnight In A Perfect World

Rating: 7/10

Iwrestledabearonce "Hail Mary" (2015)

I'll be blunt, I went to skim over this record with low expectations. I skipped straight to the middle of the first track and the hooks sunk in immediately. Astonished and blown away, I had to double take, Is this really Iwrestledabearonce? To be fair it was their sound, the maniacal over the top noise shredding was present but this was a focused assault vehicle of grooving brutality breaking the speed limit. Iwrestledabearonce came out of the naughties Deathcore scene as a directionless mismatch of genre mashing thrown together with a thick slice of cheese. They produced a fantastic hit with "Tastes like kevin bacon" but from the get go showed a lack of vision and came across as a group simply in the moment, mixing ideas and bipolar sounds together while not taking themselves or the music seriously.

Fast forward to 2015 and the band have been through some lineup changes across the last six records and most noticeably the replacement of their singer with another female vocalist who drops in the occasional strong clean vocals and sounded very familiar to her predecessor, although its been some time since I'd last listened to this band. Initially the aesthetic change didn't feel that drastic with this record but going back over their previous releases the change is massive and the most distinguished characteristic that survived is the frantic noise oriented guitar shredding, no doubt the result of the only surviving member lead guitarist Steven Bradly.

"Hail Mary" opens up with the fade in of chaotic noise shredding before throwing us in the deep end with tight, choppy rhythmic drum blasting and discordant riffs, steadily transitioning into a bouncy groove riff that sets the tone for a vigorous session of furious noise militia hurtling toward the listener with plenty of coordinated grooves and mosher riffs in the design. Its these break out moments that give the record continuity and refreshment that makes the textural onslaught manageable alongside these head banger moments. The consistency runs from start to end with every track delivering something unique and interesting in comparison to one another, its a fruitful offering of which listen after listen is yet to tire on me. 

Breaking down the groups sound it becomes apparent it revolves around the guitars almost exclusively, with drums providing an accompanying punishing strike and singer LaPlante's screams becoming an inoffensive layer of rhythmic noise through her discernible screams. On "Wade In The Water" some strong electronic noises surface through which makes one wonder how much of the crazy frenetic noises are made with the guitar. Either way the textures are delightful on the riff fest that plays up tireless bizarre guitar squeaks and squeals at lightning pace between modern metallic riffage ranging a broader spectrum of grooves and styles that come into play between the colorful chaos.

Initially I felt the clean vocals were a little unnecessary, but after countless plays they have crafted some of the records best moments with LaPlante's best coming from her strong harmonious leads. My excitement for this record still hasn't died down after many listens and I have very little to criticize. This was a refreshing metal record of the "Math Metal" variety that doesn't let up, however the production despite being a modern craft of audacity doesn't quite sparkle as much as some other records Ive heard this year. A big surprise and if they can improve on this record then the future is very bright for them. This has definitely left me in anticipation of the next release.

Rating: 8/10

Ghost "Meliora" (2015)

Ghost have been one of the most impressive Metal bands I've heard in a long time and I'm not alone with this opinion. Critics and fans alike have been praising this band since there debut "Opus Eponymous" and the band has rapidly been growing their fan base and praise with striking stage theatrics and music to match. I discovered them not long before the release of their second "Infestissumam" and this new record "Meliora" has been my most anticipated record for some time.

Defining Ghost's sound with words may be relatively easy but you have to hear it for yourself to understand the level of execution these musicians are putting into their art. Side stepping from the atypical progression of Metal music Ghost pull influences from the earlier era's of Heavy Metal and satanic themes in music with a tasteful re-imagining of ideas portrayed by extreme bands of that era. There's hints of Doom Metal, Psychedelic and Hard Rock, even Progressive Rock at times and it all comes together with a focused vision of dark, satanic worship in the form of bright melodies and lush, inoffensive instrumentation. Further playing into the twisted vision the band remain anonymous as "Nameless Ghouls" and their singer "Papa Emeritus III" replacing the former with each record. The anonymity wasn't of much interest to me, however it is speculated that the Swedes are a "super-group" of sorts.

Meliora is a gorgeous sounding record that finds the group playing down some of the metallic, riff oriented elements of their sound in favor of melodies and instrumentation that will have you watering at the mouth. The production captures these instruments with color, clarity and a chemistry that lets the harmonies between instruments spread like butter. Behind the glorious aesthetics the familiar theme of satanic worship is dressed up and delivered through Papa Emeritus soft persuasive voice, often subtle and suggestive with his lyrics he delivers hooks and passionate sing along lyrics with an evil subversive undertone that gets stuck in the mind.

The instrumentation is the bands most diverse, ambitious and on point so far. Across the ten songs they hit a remarkable range of ideas, themes and variety that can be heard through a thicker range of sounds, from sparkling acoustic guitars to the luminous pianos, enchanted choral vocals and eerie organs, everything has its moment in the spotlight. The lead guitar rips dazzling solo's that let Progressive influences blaze the trail on "Mummy Dust" with an almost synthetic quality. The drumming marches along with the flow of the tracks and punches a lot of pedal kicks and cymbals together to mark the rhythmical hits in the notation. Even the bass guitar gets its moments to show off its snarling raw texture as it bounces and grooves with the lighter guitar distortions utilized.

The record flows from start to end without a dull moment, and although there may be some tracks a little more favorable, it will vary from person to person as every track has wonderful vision and execution. "He Is" was undoubtedly my favorite, an spirited worship song fitting for traditional christian song if it wasn't for the lyrics, on this track its Ghost at their absolute best and there's little this record could of done to be better, however I think we are still yet to see the best of this band who are quite simply killing it right now. Can't wait to see them live again, and already I'm excited for what the next record will bring, but far from done with this gem.

Favorite Track: He Is

Rating: 8/10

Adrian Von Ziegler "Vagabond" (2013)

Looking for the next record of Adrian Von Ziegler's to spin, I noticed "Vagabond" had a similar format to our recent enjoyment "Wanderer". Four tracks, each twenty minutes in length, this was another seasonally themed ambiance of indulgence mixing gentle scores with the winds, chirping of birds and even the waters washing up on the shoreline. Where "Wanderer" charmed with its balance of environmental ambiance and passing melodies, "Vagabond" find a much more direct approach with a stronger presences from the stringed instruments that give the record a symphonic vibe.

"Winter Breath" is the most striking song, a deep howling wind paints the night black, lead by echoing xylophones as the sounds of frozen caves and landscapes glisten in the spooky quiet beyond the twilight. It steadily builds into big theatrics with strings, choir aahs and dramatic leads that intensify gently before unraveling back into the snowy, dusk bound track led by the winds.

The other three tracks are not quite as impressive, however "Autumn Forest" has some big Celtic folk leads that feel as if they have been cherry picked from traditional folk songs. They come to dance in between quite moments which is what all the songs do here, drift between calm and climactic moments, intensifying in depth and volume. Its a great ambient record, but one that's more demanding of your attention than "Wanderer". Both make for great choices when in the particular mood.

Favorite Song: Winter Breath

Rating: 6/10

B.G. "Chopper City In The Ghetto" (1999)

Being a longtime big fan of West and East coast Hip Hop I've recently taken an interest in the southern scene which flourished in the late 90s through record labels like No Limit Records and Cash Money. "Outkast", "Killer Mike" and "Master P" have been great discoveries but I've struggled to find much beyond them that's appealed to me and learning about Cash Money and their history I was brought to this record, Chopper City In The Ghetto. The album cover stood out to me as being one of the better, and most atypical of the trend of that time created by Pen & Pixel Graphics. Now looking horribly dated this first wave of photoshop overkill had a lot of gnarly over effected microsoft word fonts and stitched together images, however this one strikes a fair balance and holds up well, but lets talk about the music.

My first impression of this record has held up play after play, this is a solid collection of instrumentals with a distinct style that has B.G's softer rapping presence accompanying them. Initially I felt B.G was tame, inoffensive and calm but quickly I saw this in a good light. His raps are delivered steady, with a soft tone and controlled energy that comes across as borderline spoken. As the lines, verses and hooks become familiar the subtitles come across as his raps hold up time and time again. There's a lot of street talk, bling bling and boasting and it lacks a meaningful depth at times but that's far from what its about. It enjoyable, fun and easy on the mind. There's an absence of technicality and "wow" moments the occasional overuse of one worded rhymes and over simplistic lines e.g "I go for a walk past the chalk, give me the fork for the pork" but B.G can write a hook and deliver it and his style is enough to make this record work.

The chemistry between beats and rhymes is on point, however the instrumentals get the merit with focused and consistent production from Mannie Fresh who delivers 67 minutes of balanced numbers that bring a distinct mood reminiscent of an espionage, undercover spy vibe to many of the tracks, "Play'n It Raw" reminding me of Goldeneye from Nintendo 64. The compositions show their strength through instruments that sound both dated and fantastic, reminding one techniques and limitation not heard so much anymore. The drum machines are cut hard with rigid kicks and snappy snares that lack reverb or any volume variation yet sound terrific. The accompanying midi controlled instruments, bass, synth, ghetto whistles and plucked leads are on the minimalist side with simplistic, to the point melodies that balance varying degrees of complexity (within simplicity) across a spread of sounds that quietly add up to crafted tunes with depth and a fair use of rhythmic instrument hits (Bling bling) to tie the instruments to the core rhythm.

I'm still very much enjoying this record and will continue too, the features of Big Tymers, Turk and Juvenile is warming me up to more southern artists, especially Lil Wayne who I formerly had a negative opinion of thanks to buying into the "Hes not real Hip Hop" comment's on Youtube video, without checking him out for myself. He's fantastic on this record on features on my favorite song "Niggaz In Trouble" which has an interesting song structure that flips between a bi-polarizing southern hitter and a oldskool rhythmic groove. As the album stretches on I personal enjoy the final tracks more and this one also features the classic "Bling Bling" song. Great record, very happy I found it.

 Favorite Songs: Trigga Play, Play'n It Raw, With Tha B.G, Knock Out, Real Niggaz, Dog Ass, Cash Money Roll, Niggaz In Trouble, Hard Times, Uptown My Home

Rating: 8/10

N.W.A "Straight Outta Compton" (1988)

Just about everything that can be said about this records immense impact on Rap and music has already been said. It set Hip Hop on a new path, put the west on the map and delivered us the phenomenal talents of "Dr. Dre" and "Ice Cube" while forcing Gangster Rap and reality raps into the mainstream. If you have never heard of this record you need to do yourself a favor and read about it, listen and love it. Along with Metallica's "Ride The Lightning" I found this record through VH1 at around thirteen years old and it forever changed my outlook and music direction, so for this blog I thought Id focus on how this record impacted me as a person.

Being a relatively angry and frustrated young person I was initially attracted to the aggression and attitude on display, but as I learned the words the message sunk in quick and I found myself envisioning a reality I would of otherwise never know about. The lyrics depicted the American ghettos riddled with poverty, gangs, police brutality and drug problems. It opened my eyes to reality, I had a fortunate upbringing and I was understanding that the world was a big place with many problems. "Fuck Tha Police" was the song that really blew my mind, I had never heard such anti-authoritarian anger and it taught me to question what the police were and to challenge what was wrong and right in the eyes of the law. From that point on I always gave second thought to my assumptions and it set me on a path to be an open and accepting person who looks for tolerance and compassion over prejudice and judgement.
 

I've never grown tired of this record, there's a ferocious energy of anger and rebellion that always comes across and Dre's beats are still rocking today despite some obviously dated aesthetics the core compositions are fantastic, breaking out of the mold thanks to Dre's attentive ear for sampling music. Its him and Cube that make the record for me, MC Ren holds is own and drops some great raps but its Cube lyrics, also ghost writing for Eazy and Dre, and tireless flow that delivers line after line of Hip Hop's most memorable verses. He's raw and unfiltered, and with time developed his word play, flow and delivery but he could never top the impact and relevance of his rhymes on Straight Outta Compton.

I always felt the best of the record was found on the first three tracks and "Express Yourself", although the rest of the record doesn't fire quite with the same intensity its practically impossible to write thirteen tracks of "Fuck Tha Police" but the reality is they overshadow the rest of the record that's full to the brim of unfiltered reality raps and story's not for the faint of heart. Its hard hitting substance of tough times and reckless attitudes that take it all the way to the final track before Dre and Yella's throw back to their DJing days. Its a classic, one that had a profound personal influence on me and if you've never heard it before you should do yourself a favor.

Favorite Tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Gangsta Gangsta, If It Ain't Ruff, Parental Discretion Is Advised, Express Yourself
Rating: 10/10

Anthemon "Kadavreski" (2005)

A while back I picked out "Dystopia", an all time favorite record of mine, to cover here on the blog. It occurred to me that Id never given their other records much attention. I picked out the follow up record, and subsequently their last, to listen too. It has a very familiar pallet with similar tones, the acoustic and distortion guitars, the operatic vocals and a wall of symphony through the electronics all feel very much of the same page, the only difference are some rougher guttural growls on the opener.

Consisting of four tracks the record opens up with an ambitious 23 minute piece that develops from a majestic traveler into a dark and hasty aggressor accompanied by vicious growls and hammering snare drums as the track unravels back and forth between somber acoustics and doom drenched crawlers crying out unsettled melodies over thick, symphonic chords plastered in distortion guitar. The progression is ever shifting in direction like schizophrenia, as if fighting between different parallels. At around fifteen minutes the song breaks its form with a lush, dreamy laden of piano sweeping in fast flowing, gorgeous form before confining itself to a simple melody that sets a tone for the final part of the track that fails to make sense, or climax the song with any meaning.

The lack of direction or cohesion gives this one an unusual taste, despite being a little erratic and shifting, whatever is taking place sounds great for the most part. The group deliver a similar taste of melody and mood to the predecessor, but not the song structure and emotional narrative. The following songs feel second fiddle to the colossal opener and feel easier to digest and understand in their small length, despite continual shifting mood, melody and tempo that turns in a heart beat. The final track "Weight Of The Feather" has the simplest of song structures present and from the mid point draws the record to a close with a big crunchy riff chugged over and over as the growing magnitude of symphony is cut short by the strike of a gong.

"Kadavreski" is a confusing record, one that's hard to form an opinion on. Its ambitious opener doesn't sit right with the other three songs and they all shift and turn a little to fast to follow. That being said at all times the record provides a lush dense wall of swallowing sound to get lost in, with moody brooding melodies leading the way.

Rating: 6/10

Public Service Broadcasting "Inform Educate Entertain" (2013)

 Thanks to Brady and his Youtube channel Objectivity I was introduced to this fantastic musical project that takes stock audio from national archives and uses it alongside instrumentals to create a retrospective peak into the past using music to guide the mood and narratives of times gone by. Behind the name are two English musicians, Willgoose and Wrigglesworth who have been playing together for five years now and have released an EP and two full lengths, of which this was their first.

An interesting observation to make clear from the get go is that nothing here feels "nostalgic". In the same way Kraftwerk envisioned aspects of society both in the past and future, PSB feels like it "takes you there" more than it does remember it. The electronic leads, dense atmospheric synths and brooding indie guitars build up rocking atmospheres dripped with developing leads that continually grow and interchange with one another in a big layered sound that balances its density carefully.

Each song revolves around a set of samples the instrumentals correlate with. For example "Signal 30" is the records most "aggressive" sound with big distortion indie leads taking charge of the track, strumming out burgeoning riffs while archive samples play out sounds of cars crashing and an aggressive chap who's annoyed at a motorist. It may not be the best example but the chemistry between the two works on every track. Despite this the instrumentals could easily stand on their own.

The record has fantastic production. Each track may start with a few gentler shades of sound, but quickly the melodies and layers build up and a flood of sound heads towards the listener, peaking the songs in the big moments that often end the songs. The initial attraction to this project was its concept, but the writing and composition has revealed itself to have much class and depth that can be enjoyed without the samples context. A strong record that will continue to grow on me I'm sure.

Favorite Songs: Inform - Educate - Entertain, Night Mail, Everest

Rating: 7/10

Commissioner "What Is Commissioner" (2011)

What is Commissioner? That's a reasonable question to ask, but unfortunately the answer is far from. Commissioner is a noisy hash of genre crossing ideas that could of had some chemistry if it wasn't for a horrid execution and lack of emotion. I found this record when researching Suicide Silence's "You Can't Stop Me" record released last year. It was their first without singer Mitch Lurker who participated in this project before his death in 2012. The project is a collaboration with California based producer "Big Chocolate", the man behind "Disfiguring The Goddess" and you can hear a lot of that blunt force trauma vocal production style on this short record.

In an attempt to crossover Deathcore and Dubstep the two create a sour lifeless curdling of blistering noise that lacks any excitement. A continual barrage of wordless, deafening screams play out over a colorless mix of electronics and guitars. The slightly djenty, tonal guitar bludgeons chord after chord without a grain of groove or feeling. The electronics batter away with ugly, awkward textures and alien, industrial noises that are often very unbalanced in the mix and have uninteresting wobbles and noises screeching over what little is going on in the background. Theres a lot of harsh chopping and glitching sounds thrown in too the already clustered and aimless songs, further dispelling any signs of music.

It's truly been an awful listening experience, of the few times I could bare to stomach this record I found nothing in these lifeless noise abuse tracks. On paper a lot of whats going on could work, however the execution seem to suck out all feeling. The heavy guitars could of easily added in a little groove and mosh, but the breakdowns where beyond lackluster and everything about this record just reeked. Its hard to be so critical but there was truly nothing to take away from this experience.

Rating: 0/10

Chelsea Wolfe "Abyss" (2015)

Discovering the music of American singer Chelsea Wolfe last year through her previous record "Pain Is Beauty" was a breath of fresh air. Another reminder that there seems to be an endless source of sound out their that can reach you in many different ways. Chelsea's cold, bleak and shadowy music plays off her sweet somber voice like a spirit calling out from dark and on "Abyss" she takes a big step thematically and musically into her darkest sound yet. Accompanied by several members of Russian Circles the album takes the big roaring Post-Metal sound the band play to new territory with monstrous guitar work plunging us into the abyss.

What I previously liked most about Chelsea's music was the juxtaposition between the brighter melodies and the dark, gloomy tones that played off one another. Abyss is stripped bare of anything uplifting and plunges deep into a wallowing despair of darkness as the Post-Metal apocalypse broods sludgy, gritty riffs of ambiguous noise under a rattling kit and Chelsea's lonely cries. Its a hefty, atmospheric sound, but one that wasn't quite as enthralling as its ambition. The riffage falls savage to its textural ambitions and doesn't make anything memorable with the notations.

This is much the tale of the first half of the record and with "After The Fall" the album picks up with a distinct shift in direction as the distortion guitars drop from the focal point. This second half has a lot more melody and driving moments that still focus on an unforgiving despair. "Crazy Love" utilizes a haunting string section that cascades and descends with a tone of horror and evil under Chelsea's soft vocal inflections. Across the album she reveals the dark and tormenting experiencing of the sleep paralysis she suffers from, which a part of this album deals with and contributes to its haunting theme as she shares with us the frozen wakeful state of shadowy figures and being trapped in oneself.

Abyss is an ambitious and focused effort that I cannot criticize, the production works together monstrous distortion and bleak sounds with a clarity that avoids feeling sterile and the music its captured has its direction but for the most part this particular strand of dark isn't as immersible for me as I would of liked. What I like most about her music is that chemistry where the darker sounds smother the brighter melodies within and the first half of the record was devoid of any of that. I'm hoping its just something I'm not in the mood for right now, as I can hear whats great about this one, but right now it hasn't clicked.

Favorite Tracks: After The Fall, Crazy Love, Simple Death

 Rating: 5/10