Tuesday 27 March 2018

Collector Reviews: Primitive Tomorrow by Adlib

Stoner philosophy and psychedelic synths reign supreme on Adlibs Primitive Tomorrow.


I first got into Adlib once I heard his first work with Rob The Viking, Teenagerz From Mars. I really played that first EP a lot. I was absorbed into it's synth heavy production and science fiction themes. The two had great chemistry so when I heard Adlib and Rob were joining together for Adlibs upcoming Battle Axe Records debut, Primitive Tomorrow I was extremely optimistic.

The instrumentation on Primitive Tomorrow is helmed primarily by Rob the Viking with additional production by Level 13, Nemesis, B3 The Shark, Ali Armz, Stoghs and Cee The Architect. It blends trap elements with the psychedelic synths and the hard drums we know from Swollen Members.

Primitive Tomorrow opens with the title track. The song begins with vocal scratches by DJ TMB. It's an obvious song sample with Eminem's Lose Yourself. It's weird to think I haven't heard too many people sample Eminems voice so the bold approach of cutting up one of his biggest songs is commendable. The lyrics are great too as Adlib convey confidence towards his alliance with Battle Axe and gratitude towards his label and fans. It's a good intro but, my favourite songs are a little further into the record.

The second song "Up" was the first single released ahead of the record. There's a great "gym playlist" quality to this one. Adlib drops mostly punchlines across the three verses and goes back and forth with some great crowd chants in the hook. The song has one of the better instrumentals with abundant guitar riffs, sparse 808 claps, and high pitched strings plucking away. There's a lot of moving parts to this beat and it just goes in.

Track three "Peaking In Babylon" is one of those songs where the attempts at being psychedelic kinda flop for me. I didn't care for the vocal treatments across the whole song. I like the drums and cymbals but I didn't care for them cutting in and out all the time. The lyrics have the same problem always getting quiet just to explode again. It's not one I replay a lot.

"Rebel Hippies (Light It Up)" is the fourth joint on here and a big hit for me. Great intro with the Bob Marley interview. I also loved background vocals throughout on the hook. Rebel Hippies is a title Adlib plugs a lot so I expected the meaning of that would be fleshed out on here and its one of the better payoffs on the album. There a great sense of taste to this song when compared with other weed anthems. While a lot of stoner anthems come off super gimmicky to me this one is proud without being silly and I think that's rare. Great shout outs to some of the cannabis community icons too.

The energy continues on track five with our first rap guest on the record. "Sign Language" featuring Demrick. There's a good blend of trap and boom bap elements on this beat. The snares are accompanied with hand claps and hi-hats. I quite like the blend. Adlib delivers one of his more intricate rhymes schemes while Demrick adds to it with some good bars.

"Tim Leary" I liked right away. There's some great slaps and the hats give the song some added funk. Tabs writes one of the albums best hooks. Adlib brings a complex flow and bravado that pays off well. I like a lot of the lines on here too like "Mosh pit like a muh' fuckin' trampoline/Rebel Hippies on that peace, love, anarchy." I like the distortion and the synths at the end it's spacey and it helps show some of Rob the Vikings touches on the album.

"Smoke Break" Is exactly what it looks like. I like the double bass (if I'm hearing the instrument right) and the sampled interview or whatever it is playing throughout. There's no real lyrics or nothing and the interlude clocks in at under thirty seconds but, for full front to back listens it's a cool to bust up some nugs or pack a bowl to.

We go back to music with track eight "All I've Ever Had" has a good message. He takes shots at low-balling promoters while reiterating his priorities of work ethic and originality. Rob brings some great psychedelic sounds and I like the snares and the twittering hi-hats. Not super lyrical or multi-syllabic but, there's great song writing on this one.

"Work" featuring Ren Thomas is another good one. It runs a little short (under three minutes) but the beat is one of the best on the record. The beat is pretty fast but, I like Adlibs slower flow on here its a good contrast for Ren when he comes in on the second verse. There's good chemistry and Ren murders this hook.

The album continues it's strong finish with track ten "Sensi Starr" The only song with instrumentation by only Rob The Viking (aside from the interlude afterwards). I like the drum pattern on here it sounds like some Too Short beat with like crazy synths all throughout. The song has the same sort of vocal treatments as he had on "Peaking In Babylon" but, it only shows up on the hook. There's a really great build and drop to this one as well.

"Touch Of Grey" is more of an interlude than a song but again, it's a good break to roll something to. The song doesn't have a drum loop it just has some sporadic vocals from Adlib.

"P.E.A.C.E." is the final track featuring a chorus from Jessica Lamb. It's different from the rest of the album in that there's more of a piano riff on here. This song is one of the better concept records next to "Rebel Hippies" or the title track. It's a good reflection of the first song with Adlib recounting his philosophy and gratitude.

At the end of it Primitive Tomorrow boasts Adlibs clearest vision yet. His chemistry with Rob The Viking is pushed further into psychedelic directions from Teenagerz From Mars. The ample production team the two recruit on the way (Ali Amrz, Level 13, Nemesis, B3 The Shark, Stogh and Cee The Architect) blend modern lo-fi with boom bap in a very tasteful way. It pulls from current and past trends and never once feels forced.

Pros: Clear direction and themes. The focus on clarity and punchlines instead of cramming syllables makes Adlibs style fresh. Choice features, outstanding production from Rob The Viking and company.

Cons: Some songs are a little too short for my liking. The interludes and skits are fun for front to back listens but, the casual listener will skip past them. I mostly do to.

Sunday 18 March 2018

Collector Reviews: The Darkest Hour by Madchild

The long awaited Madchild and Evidence collaborative album The Darkest Hour both seizes and misses opportunities.

After 2015's "Silver Tongue Devil boasted successful tours and several viral music videos he advertised that he had been stashing away songs for his upcoming album with all the beats produced by Evidence. Recording for "The Darkest Hour" began as early as 2014 and the album was released in July of 2017.

Another notable bit of backstory on this album occurred in the fall of 2015 when a feud occurred between Madchild and rivaling Vancouver MC Snak The Ripper. The two men fired diss track back and forth and there was plenty of media coverage and upset in online forums. I don't know if I heard anything about physical confrontations or if there was I didn't read about it. I just clearly remember a rift in Western Canada around that time.

Many fans chose sides and continued to berate the MC's months after the dust settled and the diss tracks stopped. I honestly think the feud and internet fallout did affect this albums performance. Previously, Madchild's solo career had been very successful with all solo releases reaching the top of iTunes charts... until this one.

"The Darkest Hour" in comparison to previous releases only reached number twelve on the charts, meanwhile all his previous efforts made it into the top three. However, while charting lower than previous releases, it charted in the U.S., Spain and Australia. Madchild also toured across Canada in December of 2016 and I remember attending this show thinking "Where IS everybody??" it was at the same club Madchild has performed at twice before but this time it seems very undersold. That got me worried for Darkest Hour.

The album opens up with the first single "Write It Down" which I think had a great instrumentation' lyrics and the video had some good production to it as well. What ruined this song for me was during the second verse the song breaks for a skit. I wouldn't mind if the skit occurred after the song so then I could skip ahead and not miss any lyrics from the third verse. Nope. I gotta listen to this skit every time. Really ruins the song.

Track two is "Imaginary Tears" featuring one of my favourite beats while the song structure disappoints. "Body Bag" features no hook and just two simple sixteens. I like the way the beat breathed between the verses but, think a few lines in a hook would've gone a lot way too.

The third song "Body Bag" is the first cypher style song with three MC's delivering verse with no gap between. I like the bass strings in this one its more mellow than the first two songs. Madchild still is good at the that comparative rap (I'm this and your that). That wordplay is definitely his comfort zone. I think I favour Oh No more than Madchild or Domo on this one. Really like his bars and delivery the most out of the three.

"Broken Record" is one of the stronger songs on the album. Great intro, tambourines layered over the snare and the couple of piano keys add a very skeletal backdrop for Madchild's perspective and subject matter. Good tune that demands your attention and holds it. I also like the static sound of vinyl crackling softly in the background.

Song number five called "Green Light" has Evidence handling the hook and I like the longer verses on here the beat is another great mellow Ev beat. Just as intricate as it needs to be with little bits of vocal chops every now and then. Very relaxing song.

The better chunk of the album continues with "Double Tap" as next three person posse cut. The tumbling bass hits, and eerie (I think organ) sounds that go through this whole thing. One of the better "bangers" on the LP. A$hton Matthews and Fashawn bring great flows to this one as well but. I still think Madchild had the best verse on this one, despite the competition.

The theme of darkness and depression isn't really consistent enough to justify the title of the album. "Badchild" is one of the songs that conveys the dark tone well. For an album called "Darkest Hour" there's little on this album that is tangibly dark. That's what makes song like "Badchild" fresh because it delves into the dark shit that we were promised. The hook really breathes too I dig it.

"Corleone" is track eight. We have one of the weirder sounding beats on here and it's split into two 32 bar verses from Madchild and Evidence. I like the cuts it finishes with I just wish the cuts were placed between the verses too it would have helped lengthen the song. Not much else to say here. "Corleone" blends in with the rest of the album and that's all I can say about it.

The albums more positive song "Cold Crush" works for a few reasons. It reminds me of The Difference on Beautiful Death Machine with the way the hook works. There's no real lyrics the beat just breathes while Mad has a few lines here or there. In regards to the verses, the song doesn't differ too much from the usual positive Madchild song. There's lyrics about staying clean, being grateful and owing it all to God or cutting ties with unsavory friends. it's definitely more the song structure and beat that make it entertaining.

"Club 33" took me awhile to enjoy. When I saw the track listing and noticed track ten had Step Brothers as a feature I expected a more aggressive song than what it turned out to be. The song has a very mellow opera sample and gentle drums throughout. Definitely a surprise but, I ended up loving the slower pace. Great verses here too and there's some treatment to the vocals like they recorded with a older microphone. It's a nice touch.

Track eleven "Land" is one of the tracks that I feel could have been a lot better. Illmac handles the hook and has a guest verse. I think Madchild role is very underwritten considering Illmac sings a hook twice and has a seventeen bar verse while Madchild only handles one thirteen bar verse. There's a great beat, however, with a good build up and drop at the beginning.

The twelfth song is another favourite of mine. "Black and White" begins with I think a KRS sample (correct me if I'm wrong) and the beat is another weird one. I like the sporadic drums and the clarity of Madchilds voice on here. There's something about this beat and hook that demands your full attention. The lyrics are similar to "Cold Crush" in that they convey the adjustment Madchild needed to go through to avoid falling further from grace. The thing that makes this song the better of the two is that it blends the hopefulness of getting clean with more darker themes.

"Drama" really helps pick up the third act and give it some more energy. It's my favourite song on the record with some hard piano keys layered over each drum. The verses bring some of the best multi-syllabic rhymes on the album with some great cuts in between. Lines like "God almighty, oddity that isn't thought of lightly/Frightening God of Thunder riding down a rod of lightning." are some of the highlights. I always want to restart this one as soon as it's over.

The album finishes strong with "All I Know" featuring Evidence and Krondon. The beat is held together with a looped singing sample. This is another song I didn't care for at first but it grew on me. Madchild brings some more great bars and multi-syllabic rhymes with Krondon lending a verse. The song ends abruptly which I'm not crazy about I wish there was a little more substance considering this was the final song but, take it or leave it.

All in all, "The Darkest Hour" showcases great songwriting, fantastic production and strategic features. The issue is, despite this album being so anticipated and knowing Madchild has been saving songs for this record for years, it doesn't feel like anything new. Recent, yes, but not new. There's repeated lines we've heard on previous albums and songs that seem criminally underwritten. At the same time however, we have some welcomed hits scattered throughout here that punctuate an otherwise lukewarm album.

Pros: Fantastic production through out, great features, Madchild and Evidence have great producer/rapper chemistry.

Cons: Some underwritten songs, almost too many features and the long time period that the writing took place in leaves this album feeling recent but, not all the way new.

Wednesday 14 March 2018

Collector Reviews: Trust Your Gut by Merkules.

While managing a burgeoning and diverse fan base, Merkules both embraces and wrestles with his increasing relevance on 2017's Trust Your Gut.

Only a few months after the release of his 2015 album "Scars" Merkules began teasing new material. In between touring he began recording what would eventually become "Trust Your Gut". Another notable change to Merkules' career since the release of Scars was his YouTube uploads. The past few years have been marked by Merk releasing remixes of popular rap hits along with his episodic "Car Bars" series. It was on the springboard of this newfound buzz and broad internet base that Merkules launched his next solo release.

The album opens with the titular track produced by LordQuest. The song begins with various samples before the hook picks up. The drums rest with each hook and kick in again on the last line. It's a great opener with aggression, reflection and a good sing-along quality to the chorus. The beat also has some winding hi hats that emphasize the kick more. Surprisingly a good touch.

The second song "Givin' Up" produced by Vago recounts Merkules reminiscing on his come up and current success through a confident couple of verses and a nice vocal sample. I like the beat too it's got some nice drums variation in it. To me it's one of the more quotable songs with lines like "I used to want to be like them and now they want to be me." or "Now I'm playing fifty gates at different places 'round the globe/They call me Merkules. it's almost like my name was never Cole." also from the second verse makes a nod to his worldwide fans which I think can go over well if performed  overseas.

Track three entitled "Pump" features Stevie Ross and Tech N9ne. Produced by Mason Rex, the song begins with Stevie's hook. Afterwards the verses give us exactly what we expected. Merkules raps his ass off to prove he worthy of a Tech feature. It works. I like the bridge after the second hook where the bass picks up.  All to build up to an underwhelming verse from Tech N9ne. You can definitely tell the guys didn't trade verses or collaborate and it feels like a really old Tech verse.

Track four and the first promotional single, "Way Down" features a more harmonious flow and serves as our first break in the album. It's slower than the first act and a welcomed change in tone. I like the bouncy production from C-Lance and Aaron Hiltz as it's pretty left field for what they usually collaborate on and that's what makes it so fresh.

The fifth song "Bawlz" is on a similar beat to the first song. Hi hats twittering away in the background while the snare still packs a punch. Lots of that obnoxious humor on here. I'm feeling a big Slim Shady LP vibe with the dark humor and language. The hook has some humble bragging too on it that always makes me laugh. Good beat made by Soff Beatz.

The sixth song is one of the bigger payoffs on Trust Your Gut. "Hit 'Em Kill 'Em Shoot 'Em Dead" is drill music anthem complete with tongue rolling gun ad-libs and shouting across the whole song. What really makes the song for me is the experimental format that Merk uses here. The intro is long and the first verse is quite short before the hook enters again. I like the Caspian verse on here as it balances out Merkules manic contributions. This ones lots of fun. Sean Strange emerges on here as a producer as well.

"Live This" featuring Evil Ebenezer showcases one of my lesser favourite beats as well as melodies. Merkules and Evil share retrospective lyrics on the seventh song about their journey to success and come up as musicians. I wouldn't have minded this song but there is some awful effects on the vocals throughout the song. Merkules and Evil already can pull off pretty convincing singing without the software. And this Young K beat sounds like something Post Malone left lying around. Wasn't a fan. Matter of fact, these two MC's worked on a song for Evil's recent album "Cultus" and I enjoyed that match up more than this one.

Track number eight is another fun one. "Conor MacGregor" was the second single to be released and features two intricate and playful verses from Merk over a Stuey Kubrick beat. I like what Stuey brought to the instrumentation. Hasty strings and sound effects dot this whole beat adding to the very animated tone. This goes over well in live shows and I come back to it often.

The ninth song is another goodie. "I'm From" produced by Stu Bangas brings us the closest we've gotten to a hometown anthem in Merkules career so far. Though he never mentions Surrey or B.C. he describes coming up around "the wrong crowd" and recalling his frustration with school through his teen years. There is an element of pride through the song which I like most. The second verse Merk gives some advice to kids who might be getting into the wrong habits and drops some guidance. I like the cuts mixed in between the lines on the hook. Good range on sample selection too they dug hard for those. I like the strings and drop at the beginning of the beat too.

Song number ten is called "Directions" showcasing the darker side of Merkules come up. Here he battles with the pressure of increasing fame and his coping mechanisms over a somber C-Lance beat. Another hook blended well with cuts but, this time he samples previous songs of his adding to the tragedy and realization of how long he's struggled with alcoholism and anxiety.

As the third act kicks in we see Merkules' frustration with himself continue from "Directions" into track eleven "Gon Die". The Nigel Childs produced song showcases similar emotion with a little more detail. I like the background vocals throughout and the hook showcases some of Merkules' better singing. He mentions various topics like the attempt on his life when he was 16 as well as recent family tragedies. Stevie Ross brings out some great singing on his verse while he recounts recent financial trouble has made him more grateful for what he has. I didn't care the super long fade out though considering the background vocals just get more and more augmented the longer the fade drags. The singing was fine why do we need to edit it more? The transparency from both MC's regarding the content of their verses still impresses though.

"Enemies" is our second to last song on here. Another one of my favourites with a good drum loop and some radical verses from Merkules. Lots of chopping and slower bars here making it rewarding to rap along to or memorize. Great hook on here too I wish he played it live. I like the way the drums cut in and out through out here it adds urgency to the lyrics. My favourite of the two Nigel Childs beats here.

The closer on here is "Witcha" which sounds like a nod to early 50 Cent or G-Unit love songs. I like the gentle build and minimal trap production. There's good mix of sing and rapping throughout here too. He balances references to his relationship well with stories or previous romantic disappointments. Another risk that paid off I found myself coming back to this ballad more than I expected too. I should mention Mason Rex returns to produce this one as well.

In conclusion Trust Your Gut is an ambitious follow-up to past efforts from Merkules. The album balances boom bap and cloud rap instrumentals, harmonizing hooks and a few select features, "Trust Your Gut" has a little bit for everyone. It's a good mix of formula and experimentation despite the track listing having somewhat jarring sequencing. Though that's to be expected with the mixed bag of sound we can find on here.

Pros: Great experimentation, infectious hooks, mature introspection and diverse beat choices.

Cons: Short song lengths, relatively scattered thematically and overly edited vocals on a few singing spots.

Monday 12 March 2018

Collector reviews: Copenhagen Kaiju EP by Sicknature

With clever metaphors, explosive production and a gauntlet of features, Sicknatures "Copenhagen Kaiju" easily achieves "short but sweet".

After 2013's Nature Of The Contaminated marked his solo debut on Goon Musick, Fans patiently waited for the sophomore project with the label. Sicknature continued to appear on other Snowgoons projects as both a rapper and a producer before announcing upcoming solo work in 2017.
Although he hasn't been absent from musical contributions in the meantime however, with plenty of beats and guest verses across the past four years.

He continued to work under the Snowgoons brand handling production for some of the undergrounds most commercially successful releases like Onyx's comebck album Wakedafucup, La Coka Nostra's Masters Of The Dark Arts, and both Heavy Metal Kings albums. Other notable viral contributions from Sicknature include producing End Of Days for Vinnie Paz on his Season Of The Assassin album, the 2012 viral hit "Get Off The Ground" from the Snowgoons Dynasty album. More recent hits include rapping on and producing title track for 2016's Goon Bap.

Sicknature attention to this duality of vocal chops and an ear for producing are major themes on his 2017 release "Copenhagen Kaiju". As well as themes of urgency, size and experimental flows. The short runtime of 21 minutes is still packed full of surprises with Sicknature employing the help of DJ's and guest rappers to ensure the EP's length is memorable.

The EP opens with "Reporting Live From CPH". This intro skit recounts a fictional news report of Copenhagen being attacked by a "giant monster" over ominous drums.  Sometimes I wish he'd written a song over this beat after the skit wrapped up, however, the skit works well to set up the next song and kick off the Kaiju theme.

Track two shares its title with the album. The beat contains a infectious drum loop over eerie strings and bass lines. I liked a lot about this song from its boastful, competitive lyrics to a hook that balances both his vocals and scratches from DJ KCL. I'd argue its not quite as strong as other songs deeper into this but, it's not my least favourite either. I did like a few lines from this one like on the tail end of the first verse "My shits a full course meal ya'll are frozen pizzas" among others.

The third song and first promotional single "The Producer, The Rapper" is one of the stronger songs on here. With a urgent and catchy blend of brass instruments and maracas accompanying the drums its one of my favourite beats on here. The verses recall Sickantures previous accolades while he boasts over being a threat to both MC's and producers. Again the infectious blends of simple vocals and scratches on the hook makes this song an easy add to set lists. Memorable lines include "From delivering newspapers saving paper for studio hours/to making stages shake feeling truly empowered" as well as how he's rendering his opponents unrecognizable like "Chewbacca coming out of a barber shop". There's a good bridge on here too.

Track four entitled "Filet Mignon" recruits help from American rappers Hellfire and Pacewon. Another explosive beat with horns and tumbling drums. Hellfire opens the song with Sicknature entering on the second verse and Pacewon finishing up the third slot. There's no hook on here resulting in the shortest song on the EP. Though the posse cut format and energy of the verses don't leave any need for one.

The fifth song, second single and my favourite is "Make It Land Heavy". Sicknature more or less shares the song with Napoleon Da Legend as two of them trade punchlines across both verses and even share the hook. The song boasts the most crossover appeal to trap listeners with various sections containing the chopper flow from both rappers as well as more hi hats to match the up tempo bpm of the Atlanta sound. The comparison ends there however when Sicknature opts for snares and bass hits instead of the 808 clap lo-fi bass lines you can find on other releases from this decade. Theres' a hint of competition as Sicknature and Napoleon push limits with their flow switch-ups wordplay. I definitely left this song undecided with who killed it more. Another great hook with simple repetition; I could see this performing well with crowd participation.

"Dopenhagen" is the sixth song on here. Featuring Manus Bell and Mr. Malchau. The second song to feature two guests opens with Manus Bell weaving some of the more intricate flows on the album. DJ KCL breaks up each verse by scratching up some vocals. The deep guitar riffs and bass lines keep this song at a stuttering pace. Dopenhagen is my least favourite song for a few reasons. The three verses all seem to play at different volumes and the shorter drum loop on here gets a little repetitive. I didn't care for the jabs at mumble rap on Mr. Malchau's verse. This album and the fanbase it caters too could not be further removed from that circuit so the competition doesn't make sense to me. Still cool to hear other Copenhagen rappers lend a hand.

The penultimate song "Too Brutal" brings us the tried and true Sicknature formula of bass hits, singular hi-hats, and cymbals that brought us previous Sicknature hits like "Goon Bap", "Get Off The Ground" and "Turndafucup". The "Get Off The Ground" similarities continue right down to Duck Down's own Ruste Juxx again lending his talents to the second verse. There's also a simple, easy to repeat hook on here from Face. While "Too Brutal" may be the most formulaic on the EP, it's a formula that always works.

The album closes with "The Running Man". Another catchy song similar in instrumentation to track three, though the horns have more variation here. Great bridges and hooks on here and memorable lines like "Soon as I finish a verse somebody needs a beat, soon as I finish a beat, somebody needs a verse" or "All these rappers are just out for the crown/fuck a throne ya'll can have it, I ain't got time to sit down" or "While you're busy posing, I'm busy composing". The theme of urgency and work ethic are paired nicely with lines regarding his limited capacity for distractions.

All in all, Sicknature's sophomore EP pulls you in quick with good metaphors, a plethera of features and some of the hardest snares I heard in 2017. While I only see myself really returning back for about three or four of the songs on here, "Copenhagen Kaiju" is consistent and focused enough to be a good front to back listen as well. It's extensive enough to get my attention but also brief enough to draw out the suspense for his next full length album.

Pros: Hard snares throughout, great hooks, Sicknatures chemistry with all the guests particularly on "Make It Land Heavy", abundance of scratches.

Cons: An entire track dedicated to just an intro skit, vocal mixing on Dopenhagen.