Tipper: Tip Hop (2005)

::: To start, it's hard for me to put into words how dope this album is. Since Prefuse 73 blew up and has gotten a lot of exposure, it's more and more common to see new "glitch-hop" artists coming out of the woodwork. It seems to me that most of these artists are coming from a more hip hop oriented background, and use influences of electronic music to enhance their sound. In the case of Tipper, it appears to be the opposite. Tipper's releases prior to Tip Hop (go to the music section to listen) were more along the lines of ambient, breakbeat and IDM, where in this album he created his own version of electronic-based hip hop (hence Tip Hop). Not only did he produce all of the music himself, but he also does his own scratching. And this is not just some half-assed attempt at scratching and mixing... Tipper is a pro. The scratching is so flawless and fast that I've had a person tell me he thinks it was done on turntables then pieced together on a computer, because it's just that good. Along with the amazing scratching, there is a constant barrage of glitched-out synth instrumentation that I can only describe as organized chaos. The only person that is on Tipper's level as far as impeccably mixing and mashing is edIT, who I will mention in a later post. Tip Hop has a few guest appearances from rapper Epcot, whose flows fit perfectly with Tipper's volatile style. To try to get more specific with how this album sounds would just be a disservice to Tipper. So please, go buy this album. You will not regret it. If you like it, give his other albums a spin as well.

01		Tepid Bile
02		Ruck ft. Epcot
03		Tip Hop2
04		Crimp
05		Paperthinreality
06		Learning Is Remembering ft. Epcot
07		Run4Cover
08		Gong Show
09		As Thick As You Can Quink
10		Dead Pixels ft. Epcot
11		Pins & Needles
12		Grubby Weasel
13		Flitch
14		Fleas And Itches
15		Primordial Soup
16		Ton Of Brix
17		CycleswithinCycleswithin
18		Ruck (unmixed) ft. Epcot
19		Learning Is Remembering (unmixed) ft. Epcot
20		Dead Pixels (unmixed) ft. Epcot

P.S. "Ruck" featuring Epcot is insane.

Leaf: Made Into Itself (2005)

::: I came across this album working for KJHK 90.7 in Lawrence, when I was doing the HipHopHyp show. I am a huge fan of instrumental hip hop, and at the time I was constantly searching for new artists to play for my show. I stumbled upon Leaf and decided to check it out. To this day I am amazed that Leaf has managed to fly under the radar in the instrumental scene. Made Into Itself is a downbeat masterpiece in my opinion, where Leaf utilizes unique samples from all genres and some of the dopest drum beats i've heard in a while. This album has a dark overall vibe, but Leaf manages to not make the album feel too dismal or depressing. I guess I would compare their style to DJ Krush (i.e. Jaku, The Message at the Depth) or some of the more recent Anticon releases (Odd Nosdam, Jel, DJ Mayonnaise). Leaf tends to use samples from instruments of other cultures and countries, in addition to the more distorted synth sounds characteristic of some Anticon releases. Perhaps my favorite part about Made Into Itself is the incorporation of spoken word that is both deep and insightful. Leaf doesn't chime in with these words of wisdom too often, but when they do it always makes me stop and pay a little bit more attention to the music. I recommend this to fans of instrumental hip hop, or just anyone who can appreciate good quality music. With this combination of great samples with thumping bass lines and drumbeats, it's hard to go wrong.

Here's a quote from "Lounge Dealers"

Intent of those will not be shown to you. Television has made the planet a global village. Others' trials and tribulations have become my concern and abandon in the same breath. Everyone has their own god, their own carbon-copy religion. You wave a banner that reads "praise the one true god," but standing behind you in the commotion I think you want me to worship a dog. And now I hate you and your views for no apparent reason. All religions are based on factual intent, but we don't know how to apply the religious ideas to contemporary life. Every faction has myths, all myths teach you to go inwards. I watch Star Wars like my mother reads to New Testament. It is the new myth. Faust gives us Mephistopheles, Lucas gives us Lord Vader. He is the embodiment of man struggling with machine. The symbiotic relationship made of constricting circuitry and empowering anonymity. Machines help us fulfill our image of what the Earth is, and what we want it to be. But if the marionette is heavy enough, unexpected movement will carry the puppet-master's hand against his will. Progress without permission. The eternal absolute struggle surfaces. It is said that Eisenhower went into a room full of the first supercomputers, and put a question to the machines. Is there a god? They all start processing, lights flash, magnetic wheels turn... and after a while a voice says... "now there is."

I had to listen to the track and type that as I heard it so... you're welcome.

Shpongle: Tales of the Inexpressible (2001)

::: I first heard this album about 4 years ago when I was living in Lawrence, KS. At the time I primarily only listened to hip-hop, and didn't really have any interest in electronic music. A friend of mine who was really big into electronica told me about Shpongle, and since that day I have been a huge fan. Shpongle is a duo of talented musicians, Simon Posford and Raja Ram, who teamed up to create some of the most amazing cross-cultural psychedelic music I have ever heard. On Tales of the Inexpressible, Shpongle incorporates all different types of music from around the world and fuses them in to a cohesive whole. At times it leans toward psy-dub or more downtempo influences, and others it is almost an upbeat dance party. However, the main vibe you get from the album is that it intends to facilitate a personal psychedelic experience (be it a "natural high" or chemically induced). One track in particular, "A New Way to Say 'Hooray!' begins with a vocal sample of the legendary psychedelic guru Terence McKenna. He references his experiences with hallucinogens, affirming that they break down mental barriers and give one's consciousness a "new way to say hooray." All of the tracks flow nicely from one to the next, and none of them seem overly similar or repetitive. I recommend this to anyone who has an open mind when it comes to music from other parts of the world, and enjoys psychedelic-influenced vibes. Sadly, Shpongle released their final album in 2005 entitled Nothing Lasts... But Nothing is Lost (another reference to the late Terence McKenna). I suggest you get that album as well, but Tales of the Inexpressible is my personal favorite.

My Favorites:

Star Shpongled Banner :: An example of the more downtempo style tracks on the album, "Star Shpongled Banner" starts off with a distorted and unintelligible sample of someone talking, and fades into a heavy bassline and melodic vocals. The beat is highly dub influenced, and is accompanied by small piano parts and the beautiful flute playing of Raja Ram. Most of the tracks on the album feature Raja Ram, who adds effects to his instrument to enhance to overall style. As the song builds, more electronic/synth instruments are added, and by the end the tempo has sped up to a more upbeat pace. What started as a psy-dub track ends as an upbeat almost psy-trance anthem accompanied by chanting group vocals. Highly recommended.

A New Way to Say 'Hooray!' :: I mentioned this track above, and it is another personal favorite. It is difficult to try to explain what's going on in a Shpongle song because so much is happening, and I can't always tell what all instruments or sounds are being used. As with most of their other tracks, A New Way to Say 'Hooray!' incorporates a dub-style bassline with dramatic chanting vocals and other synthesized melodies. What makes this song a little different are the various samples from Terence McKenna, which are all about psychedelics (and are fittingly distorted with effects). Makes you feel like your mind is expanding, even if you aren't tripping...

Aesop Rock Meets Portishead: Rockhead EP

::: As an avid Aesop fan, I have made it a personal quest to find all of the music he has released to date. His unique style is one that never grows old. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the Bazooka Tooth album (though it was still artistic and innovative). That was, until I heard the Rockhead EP by J. Kingz. In a seemingly odd combination, J. Kingz fuses the avante-garde musings of Aesop with the beautifully eerie downtempo music of Portishead. And this is not just your typical mash-up or a sloppy slapping-together of two opposing styles and genres. J. Kingz blends the two equally inspiring artists into something that sounds totally unique. Each beat and vocal sample taken from Portishead is chosen to suit the tone and mood of the flows laid down by Aesop (courtesy of Bazooka Tooth). Not to take away from Aesop or Portishead in their original forms, but J. Kingz gives the selected tracks a whole new feel and vibe. I highly recommend this to any Aesop Rock and/or Portishead fan, not as a replacement for the artists' original works, but as an excellent tribute.

Personal Favorites:

TRACK THREE :: Aesop is accompanied by fellow label-mate EL-P on a track that gives their history and interpretations of the underground scene. EL-P just rips this track, rapping about getting his start in the business and building the Def Jux label in the face of naysayers and critics. Aesop follows with insight and tongue-twisting wordplay, as the hard hitting distorted beat of "Over" thumps along with plucked strings.

"You don't innovate because you can't innovate. It's not a choice, despite what you might tell your boys. Keep your identity crisis under the table, I always know who I was and I'll always be more famous"

TRACK FOUR :: This is probably my favorite track on the EP. The synth melody of Portishead's "Roads" is fairly basic, but it's paired with slow-building violins and a steady beat. Beth Gibbon's vocals on the chorus make the song feel both triumphant and somber at the same time. Aesop's subject matter on "Babies with Guns" creates a dark, almost disturbing feeling, with lines like "Nowadays even the babies got guns. Diaper snipers having clock tower fun. Misplace the bottle might catch a bad one. Have a mid -life crisis when your ten years young." The combination of powerful abstract lyrics and haunting instrumentation makes for an excellent song.

"if the jesus piece around your neck is bigger than your pistol
it makes homicide okey dokey and your god will forgive you
just show the saints at heaven's gate you should be on the list
i hear he overlooks manslaughter for a tattooed crucifix"