Messrs. Ludwig and Robinson (& hip hop heads)

Dope beats, no rhymes, dope cuts. I need to throw a party at my place (to watch the catfights, of course).

I'm building up quite the music recommendation debt owed to you, Mr. Robinson, and others...

(Matthew- That M. Ward album is great!)

Sounds excellent. Will buy today after work and will let 'er rip @ the Canada Day parties this weekend!

Just got it- couldn't find the instrumental, so got the full album.
Pretty fun stuff, thanks again Mekon.
The liner notes read like a post from Mick Parry and Tom Alves really needs to alter the cover's pesky title in the digital domain.

Hey Mekon and others, I'm really liking the new Audio Bullys album. What do you guys think of it?

Have you heard of the "Unkown Prophets"?
They have a killer track called All In My Head, but am unable to find any other info on them.

Oh and, Kans and rap.....

Really?

Mike,

I can't do the vocal version of the Majesticons release, but Matthew champions it, and Pitchfork agree with him. Still, we had 18 years of Tory rule in the UK, so what does that tell you .

However, if you like it, you should definitely check out Gun Hill Road by The Infesticons (check Hero Theme). If you see them, the Vernacular Homicide EP and Welcome To The Afterfuture, both recorded under his own namem are well worth getting.

I've only heard the Audio Bullys single(s?). Perhaps it is a 'prophet in his own country' thing, but they don't do it for me. Still, I am not averse to UK Hip Hop. I am well into stuff by the Mechanical Insects collective, and Phi Life Cipher, for instance.

As for Kans and rap, minimum distance from the back wall, levelled stands, NACA5, and Mana soundbases help. Also, unlike Alco, I found that the jump from a Nait to 72/180 REALLY helped. Still, they aren't 'briks by any means.

Listening to MFDoom's 1st one, "Operation Doomsday" for the first time.
I like it.

No real standout tracks, just a solid, easy listen with consistent smooth grooves and laid back rhymes.

Weirdly, so am I. Spooky. I was prompted by the fact that I just grabbed the King Geedorah album, which is a bloody good.

PS the the newest Sixtoo album is an essential purchase!

[This message was edited by Mekon on WEDNESDAY 09 July 2003 at 12:18.]

"Beauty Party" is great. I was listening to it on the way back from the pub last night (and Antipop COnsortium on the way there which is probably more Hackney in tone) and it us full of brilliant tunes and fab production.

The really R&B track is a bit dull but I love the rest even the one with the Pet Shop Boys lyric rip off.

Matthew

You have Arrthymia, right? If so, you owe it to yourself to check out their earlier stuff, especially tragic epilogue. Also, if you like DJ Vadim, check out their collab with him on Jazz Fudge. It's called The Isolationist. Check out 'Hydrogen Slush' here.

Okay Matthew, now you're really pushing it!

I'm getting ready to place an order. So folks, what are the five hip-hop "must haves" so far this year?

Thanks,
Eric

Do you just mean straight up hip hop (like Sage Francis/Murs) or would you include the weirder side of anticon in with that?

Mekon, Weirder side too, definately. I like the anticon-esque things I have: Gel, Cloudead. In fact I don't like mainstream hip-hop very much. Thus:
Like: El-P, Anti-pop Consortium, Can-Ox, etc.
Don't Like Very Much: Taleb Kwali
Hate: Most everything I've heard on MTV, VH1.

So far this year I've only bought the Prefuse 73, which I like.

Eric

Top five 'this is definitely hip hop, and it's not instrumental' hip hop releases of the year so far:

1. Sixtoo - Antagonist Survival Kit (ignore the naysayers, they are idiots)
2. Sole - Selling Live Water
3. King Geedorah - Take Me to Your Leader
4. Sage Francis - Makeshift Patriot EP
5. APC & Matthew Shipp - APC vs Matthew Shipp

However, The DM & Jemini album is out on monday, and I hear rumours that it is epic. The EP is well worth a punt if you see it. Also, Square by Buck 65 was a 2003 release here, but not in the US. If it were, it would knock APC off, as it is a bit out of it's depth on that list. Oh, and if you don't have Personal Journals by Sage Francis you should buy that before anything else. Lastly, I've not heard Disenfranchised by McEnroe yet, but loads of people who like the stuff I do are putting it on their 'best of the year so far' lists.

Top Five 'A-yo, dis shit is wack, where's 'da ho's? Dis aint hip hop, aight!' and/or instrumental hip hop releases list.

1. Fog: Ether Teeth
2. Why?: Oaklandazulasylum
3. Madlib: Madlib Invades Blue Note
4. Majesticons Vs Infesticons: Beauty versus Ugly (instrumentals)
5. Odd Nosdam: No More Wig For Ohio

However, I haven't heard the new(ish) RJD2 release, but if it is anywhere near Deadringers, it'll be fantastic. Oh, and I left of the P73 release, since you have it. Also, Rhymesayers have a load of stuff out at the mo' that is sitting on my wanted list. Since it is gonna be way cheaper for you than me, you might want to take the risk on The 30th Song by Mr Dibbs. It's supposed to be awesome. Oh, and although it was last year, if you see it, you have to grab Born of Man and Flies by Mummy Fortuna's Theatre Company.

Ah dammit, I just went and ordered the Mr Dibbs and McEnroe. I'll let you know.

BTW, don't let Matthew convince you that the vocal version of the Majesticons album is anything other than junk. Sumo from UKHH sums it up:

quote:

---

If you’re stuck in a crowded lift with an unpleasant scent wofting around, letting rip yourself with an eggy-one is not an effective response - But that sums up this pompous pantomime’s strategy of fighting exploitative wackness with exploitative wackness.

---

Thanks Mekon. The King Geedorah and the Why? were already on the list; I'll check out the others.

You posted a link to a hip-hop review site here a few weeks ago. Now I can't find the thread it's in; would you mind reposting it, when you get a chance? Thanks again,

Eric

Erm, not sure which one it would have been. Maybe www.dot-alt.com or www.hiphopinfinity.com (a good shop and forum too).

BTW, the Summer album by Subtle (Dose One's band) is a great album too, but I don't think you could call it hip hop by any stretch. It's much closer to his collab tracks with Hood.

IMO Soul Purpose's "Throwing Records" and Akrobatik's "Balance" would easily be in the top 5 rap albums this year.

(See my Nick Lees head review for info on Akrobatik and to get a snicker out of my poor album review skills.)

O.k. Mekon,

The following all arrived last week on vinyl:

Sole - Selling Live Water
Oaklndazulasylum - Why?
Rjd2 - Deadringer
King Geedorah - Take Me to Your Leader
Sage Francis - Personal Journals
Sixtoo - Antagonist Survival Kit
McEnroe - Disenfranchised

(Ludwig, I only saw your post after I had placed my order, but I'll keep these in mind. Thanks).

I've been listening to these all weekend (and of course now I'm ready to go shoot some 'hos, or whatever --- just kidding). Anyway, initial impressions:

Sole and Sage Francis: Very very good, almost outstanding (i.e., almost El-P level ).

King Geedorah and Oaklndazulasylum: very good. I was quite pleasantly surprised by how much I liked "Why?"; I almost didn't order it since some reviews I read made me think I might not, but I do.

Sixtoo and Rjd2: enjoyable. I'm not sure I'm really into this kind of sample-heavy stuff, but these are good enough to merit several more listens.

Mcenroe: "nice"; this feels to tame compared to the others. It's polished but you get the sense the kid wants to play it safe.

Cheers,
Eric

Eric, take a listen to Soul Purpose and Akrobatik. If you're more interested in experimental rap you might not like them, but I think Soul Purpose is especially good.

I'll try to overlook your comparison of Sage to El-P

Sadly/fortunately, Boomkat cancelled my McEnroe order, saying it was out of stock. Same thing happened last time I ordered. I guess they are a bit slack updating their website. Do you reckon it's not worth tracking down (i.e. paying $10 to get it shipped from the US)?

Homies and Gentlemen,

I'm currently downloading some dope Sage Francis vs. Apathy freestyles. Called the "Cipher Session", apparently.
Are these available on CD or are they mp3 only type jobbies?

Mike, I don't know the answer to that, but I bet Mekon does.

Are you in Vancouver?

Ludwig,

Thanks for the link. I actually liked the Akrobatik a bit more; it seemed a somewhat more inventive. I might try it next time I order hip hop.

Mekon,

No, I don't think mcenroe is worth it if it's costing you the equivalent of $25. It has moments, but not that many. If I change my mind after a few more listens I'll let you know.

Incidentally, and apropos of the modulated locked groove thread, the Sole LP locks the last track, "ode to the war on terrorism", so that you have to make some extra effort to actually listen to it. Not sure if there is any significance in that ....

Eric

Ludwig,

Vancouver, aye.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mike Sae:
Homies and Gentlemen,

I'm currently downloading some dope Sage Francis vs. Apathy freestyles. Called the "Cipher Session", apparently.
Are these available on CD or are they mp3 only type jobbies?

---

Hard to tell. I've got the three self-released CDs he's put out, and there are a whole load of freestyles on there, not all of which give the name of the other MCs involved. I'd love to have a listen to it, in case it's something I don't have. Could you link 'em?

The 'pre-debut' CDs are called 'Sick of waiting tables', 'Still sick...urine trouble', and 'Sick of Waging War: The unknown soldier'. They aren't official releases, just snippets of radio shows he's performed on, demos, and live tracks. Very rough and ready, but dope as hell. They also contain performances by his live band, AOI.

Keep an eye out for his project with Joe Beats, called Non-Prophets. Their album will be out on Lex later in the summer. He's just signed to Epitaph, so the next album will be a bit more high profile than his debut release on anticon.

Personal Journals is the obvious place to start, but the Makeshift Patriot EP is well worth picking up. It sometimes gets placed in 12" sections, but Linn owners have no fears, it's a 33.

Eric, I think I may give the McEnroe release a miss unless it turns up locally. Cheers for the heads up.