Jan24

Gangrene, Vodka & Ayahausca (Review)

Gangrene

Vodka & Ayahausca

Released by Decon


Let's talk drug of choice. Hip-hop has generally gravitated toward alcohol & marijuana with the occasional foray into hallucinogenics and nose candy (simply reference Raekwon's OB4CL, pretty sure there's a few tracks where Ghost & Rae are snorting in the booth). These days hip-hop's medicine cabinet houses anything from adderall (Danny Brown eats them like TicTacs) to molly to cups of promethazine. Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh No) are here to introduce the South American alternative to absinthe, an apparently delightful little cocktail named Ayahausca.

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Jan10

yU – The Earn (Review)

yU

The Earn

Released by Mello Music Group


Finally a breath of fresh air in the rap game. yU releases his sophomore album after a solid showing with his debut, Before Taxes. With The Earn, yU proves he’s an emcee few and far between, proclaiming to earn his spot while other rappers are pulling tricks out of their sleeves in an attempt to make a lasting impression. With entertaining lyrics and even better themes, yU draws the listeners to his adventure that is The Earn. On Time Machine, the artist takes a time machine and ...

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Dec05

Coki – “Don’t Get It Twisted” (Review)

Coki

Don't Get It Twisted

Released by DMZ


One of the DMZ's original badmen (and dubstep originators -- sorry Korn) is back in the forefront with his signature take on the sound of 140 BPM music with sub-bass. Considering that the dilution of dubstep has come to a point where nu-metal bands have taken credit for the genre's inception and pop stars are using dubstep tracks as either inspiration or backing tracks, you can say the genre has come a long way --and a strange turn. When DMZ began pushing dubstep earlier in the last decade, the idea wasn't a mass-media frenzy involving headphones, cereal or anything else the generalized take on the genre is representative of now; It was all about the vibe, the space, and the emotions that carry the bass throughout those four-to-seven minutes. Dubstep's roots are deep within the sounds of its originators, embedded within their minds forever. Such is the mind of Coki, who puts out his latest release on the beloved label staple of DMZ; and damn, this is a pure reminder of what the genre's truly about.

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Nov16

Sepalcure – Sepalcure (Review)

Sepalcure

Sepalcure

Released by Hotflush


NYC duo Sepalcure are releaseing their much anticipated debut full length through Hotflush Recordings. The London label that from its start in 2003 quickly became synonymous with the sound that came to be known as Dubstep, and its tradition of unearthing the best new talent in bass music. Travis Stewart (Machinedrum) and Praveen Sharma (Braille), utilize the broader canvas of the album format to develop their collaborative process and incorporate the diverse influences present in their solo work to their sonic mixture. Machinedrum has already released one of the ...

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Nov11

Tom Waits – Bad As Me (Review)

Tom Waits

Bad As Me

Released by Anti-


Tom Waits’ first studio album in seven years explores familiar themes of love and religion gone wrong under some new and largely satisfying arrangements. Armed with the most awesomely peculiar voice in American music, Waits understands the necessity of reinvention to keep the wheels turning after decades and decades of recording. The approach pays dividends on Bad As Me, with the exception of the clunky bass line and awkward blues stabs of “Raised Right Men.” On tracks such as “Pay Me” and “Talking At The Same Time,” Waits’ perpetually-stellar songwriting soars. He personifies sorrow with his slow-burning ballads and kicks the living shit out of it with his bruised baritone. Bare bone riffs peppered with sporadic, meandering keys puts Waits right at home on the instant classic come-on of “Kiss Me.”

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