Recommended: Raw M.T. – Raw Music Theory
Italian producer Raw M.T’s self-titled EP, set for release at the end of the month on Ukrainian label Wicked Bass, comprises four serious selections. Wicked Bass have been releasing some hot stuff – we were 100% down for that Innershades EP a few months back, and of course we’re big fans of your boy Huerco S – and this EP does them proud. “Walkman Is Dead” is an exquisite combination of elasticated bass, heavenly synths and guileless percussion which trips its way around Raw M.T’s uptempo dreamscape, whilst “Sara” is an astute marriage of melancholia and buoyant drums. The originals definitely have a persuasive edge of their own, and would be plenty welcome in the mix, but Greg Beato’s remixes steal the show a little on this one. His recent releases on FunkinEven’s Apron Records and L.I.E.S have seen the Miami son putting out cuts that are anything but sunny – his name is already associated with cruel, distorted dancefloor beasts, rather than palm trees and azure waters. Beato’s reimagination of “Walkman Is Dead” empties the track out, stripping it down and saturating each element until it moodily sinks down to earth. But it’s the rework of “Sara” that really gets us going. What kills is how Beato turns the track into a seven minute tease that somehow leaves you satisfied. He takes the silken sadness of the original and beats it into something more bitter but no less tasteful. The delicate hi-hats draw you in, only for you to discover that awaiting you are kicks which live up to their name with a nasty violence. Here, the prettiness of the highs make the lows altogether meaner and more dangerous. But the synths still spiral, and the bass melody which makes an appearance occasionally is pure charm – innocence that finds itself in the wrong place at the right time. This one is diamonds in the dirt, filth that you thank your lucky stars for finding. What’s next, Wicked Bass? We’re yours for the taking.
Stream: Raw M.T – Raw Music Theory [Wicked Bass]
Raw Music Theory is out later this month, hold tight and keep an eye on Wicked Bass’ twitter and facebook.
Words by Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura, 06 September 2013. Leave a comment
Functions of the Now II: Inkke
Glasgow is a city of people with vociferous musical appetites, but there are a few individuals and collectives that excel in particular fields of expertise. The staff at Rubadub are pretty much walking encyclopaedias when it comes to techno, and a night of classic dubstep wouldn’t be complete without a set from one of the Fortified family. But if you want an expert on grime? Look no further than Inkke. Nothing if not multi-talented, the Scottish producer has had stints presenting on both Subcity Radio and Nasty FM, hosts club nights as part of Likwit Fusion and more recently I Hate Fun, and even has a side-hustle as an illustrator. For a while he was known as Jinty, and it was under this name that he earned a reputation as Glasgow’s grime aficionado.
A quick look at his SoundCloud is enough to make you aware of his love affair with grime – a breadcrumb-like trail of its influence on him can be found across his mixes, blends and refixes. But it’s his productions as Inkke, which tap into the sound that our Functions of the Now series hopes to chronicle, that have propelled him into a wider sphere of recognition. His free “Pink Dot” EP from 2011 set the template for his sound: laid-back sketches of grime with just the right amount of darkness. “Sakata Riddim”, available on I Hate Fun’s compilation (also free), was a three minute frenzy of militant syncopated handclaps, with a synth line that splintered and ricocheted like a laser beam through a prism. The ornamental gong percussion even nodded its head to the resurgence of sino-grime. The inclusion of his “L-O-K” on “Grime 2.0“, a compilation which sought to earmark the swell of new producers toying with familiar grime tropes, was the catalyst to his ascension from the River Clyde to bigger waters.
With a selection of hip-hop beats forthcoming on a cassette for Astral Black and his tracks making regular appearances on LuckyMe’s Rinse FM show and Slackk’s monthly mixes, Inkke is in prime position to dominate 2014. With this in mind, we approached him for an interview. He spoke to us about grime’s evolution, Trim, and Aaliyah remix fatigue, and provided a blistering thirty minute mix that crystallises some of the key players in this year’s instrumental grime landscape.
I’d like to talk about Glasgow first. I’ve come to think of Glasgow as a house and techno city, a reputation that often comes at the expense of other genres. Is it frustrating at all to be so tied to a sound (as a fan and as a producer, as a punter and as a promoter), that gets comparatively less spotlight? “There’s always been a lot going on up here club-wise, Glasgow is a really versatile city when it comes to its musical background. Although there is a lot of house and techno about, there have always been smaller nights pushing other stuff they enjoy, purely for the fact that they enjoy it. I wouldn’t say I’m tied to grime in particular, but yeah, there isn’t a lot of it about up here – although when we do a night it can work really well. There are a lot of fans of grime here so if we put on an event then the people that come are totally there for the music.”
I Hate Fun has been responsible for bringing acts like Bloom to Glasgow, as well as inviting local heads to play at parties like Strictly Grime. Can you tell us a little more about I Hate Fun – what it is, your role in it, and the position it holds in Glasgow (and beyond) in pushing the sort of sounds that it champions? “I Hate Fun is a website and a club night; I’m the illustrator for the site and I help run the events. I Hate Fun was basically built to be used as a platform where we could push the stuff we’re into musically – we host guest mixes, interviews and other general music-related stuff. The club night is more of a recent thing but it has been great.” You’ve been interacting with Slackk; any plans for an I Hate Fun x Boxed spectacular? “Haha, no plans as of yet but that would be cool. Maybe we can sort something out for next year.”
Has your distance from London, grime’s nucleus if you will, allowed you an outsider’s perspective as a producer? Strict Face told us in his interview that he felt like there wasn’t so much pressure to fit in or sound too much like a particular thing. Being based in Adelaide, he’s a lot further removed from London than you are, but can you identify with what he’s saying at all? “I guess I probably do have an outsider’s perspective but it’s not something I notice. I’m not trying to fit in with anything, I’m just doing what I’m into. I’m into grime so I make a lot of grime, but I take influence from all over the place. If I was living in London I still think I would be making weird shit.”
For two years you presented Gutter Riddim on Subcity Radio; you also held down a weekly slot on Nasty FM for a while. What sort of vibe did you aim for on either show? “I was just playing music; most times I would be on the decks, or have guest DJs or MCs in. Other times I would just let the music run track to track – no mixing, just let it play. It was another platform to get stuff out there, and it was fun! I think when I first started the show on Subcity I was one of only a select few that was playing grime, and almost exclusively at that, so the show became quite popular. Then I started a show on Nasty – two hours weekly on top of my show at Subcity so it was quite demanding. After about six months of running both shows simultaneously, I ended up taking a step back from both stations to concentrate on my studies.”
How is your mix for us different (if at all) from what you’d play on the radio or in a DJ set? “The majority of my sets are all vinyl; this mix was fully digital. Mixing digital is something that’s pretty new to me but I’ve been sent so much really good music recently that I felt I needed to do something with it.” We were surprised by your choice to keep it free of your own productions; was there a reason for this? “I really didn’t feel the need to, I’m happy the mix pushes the tracks that it does.”
Your tracklist features cuts from many of your contemporaries – the two I’d really like to mention are Strict Face’s “Toxic Gunner Refix” and Murlo’s take on Ashanti’s “Movies”. R&B samples have kind of been done to death in 4×4 house music, why do you think r&b and grime sound so fresh blended together? “I wouldn’t say it’s a new thing. Grime tracks using r&b cuts have been floating about since the start of the genre, it’s just that back then the majority were white label dubs. I think producers and bootleggers just wanted to mix the popular vocal tracks of the time with their underground hits, and it’s probably the same idea nowadays. There totally has been a revival of it recently though, which could be to do with the Night Slugs and Fade To Mind camps pushing that style, but it’s impossible to tell. Everyone’s influences are different. I think sometimes it can work really well and other times it doesn’t; it’s a fine line and some tracks have just been done to death. If I hear another Aaliyah remix I think my head will explode.” Your own “Dilemma” bootleg was featured in Slackk’s August mix; we also saw you mention a “21 Questions” bootleg on Twitter. Can we expect to hear a lil compilation of your bootlegs any time soon? “Haha yeah, I’ve remixed a whole bunch of rap songs from that era. I want to record a mix using just the bootlegs, I’ll call it Millennium Edits or something.” Correct us if we’re wrong, but we’re guessing the DJ Milktray “Hotel” edit that I Hate Fun shared the other week is yours too? “Nah Milktray isn’t me, his bootlegs are rad though. You need to hear some of his original tracks too, they’re so heavy.”
It’d be fair to say you came to prominence with the inclusion of “L-O-K” on Big Dada’s “Grime 2.0″ compilation. The emergence of this new wave of grime has divided fans and critics alike: as someone who seems to be as indebted to old grime as you are invested in its newer echelons, what’s your take on it and where do you consider your work to fit on the grime continuum? “I don’t see how new grime can be a bad thing, if people know what they are doing and if it is actually grime. It does my head in when someone makes a rap beat and calls it grime, because it isn’t – it’s rap. I’m all for evolution in sound but that’s just confused. I’m not sure where my tracks would fit and I don’t really think it’s down to me to decide. I would rather let the listener make up their own mind on that one.”
Stream: Inkke – L-O-K (Big Dada)
You’re pretty much considered one of Glasgow’s authorities on grime; tell us about when the genre first made an impact on you. ” Haha I wouldn’t say that, I’m just into it. There are plenty of other people that have been about longer than me. I’ve always been into fast music, that’s something that dawned on me recently. I was really into jungle and I think I was introduced to grime through that and just found it interesting. Hooked.” What else do you like listening to? “I listen to a lot of different music but recently I’ve been getting into a lot of jazz and dancehall records. The music I listen to definitely influences what I make, even if it’s on a subconscious level.”
With the new wave of grime being largely instrumental, who’re your favourite OG MCs and who would you love to hear over one of your own beats? “Ah that’s a hard one, there’s so many. There was a time when everyone was so hungry and radio sets were huge. I’ve always found that some MCs were better on radio than they were on tracks; there was just a type of energy that you can’t recreate in a studio. I’ve always been a fan of Napper, Shizzle, Bruza, Ivan-O and General LOK, Terminator, Wiley, Flirta, Titch, Esco, Stamina Boy and Dizzee. Crews like Meridian, Ruff Sqwad, SLK, Roll Deep, Macabre Unit and Slew Dem. I would love to work with Trim, I think we could build something really interesting.”
We’ve included you in Functions of the Now because of your ties with grime, but tracks on your SoundCloud like “Enoch Beat” betray a fondness for dusty hip-hop styles too. We hear you have some hip-hop tracks coming out on cassette; what’s the word on that? “Yeah, well I’m a big fan of hip-hop. I make a lot of beats like that, they just don’t get heard as often. I’m putting out this beat tape with Astral Black; it’s a selection of real lo-fi and gritty Memphis style rap beats. The project has been a long time in the making so I’m happy it’s finally coming out. Astral Black is a great label too, I’m really happy to be working with them on this one. The project fits perfectly.” When you’re in the studio do you go in with a grime mindset some days and a hip-hop mindset on others? That is, is it difficult to switch between the two styles or can time in the studio lead you down any path? “Nah, I think if you go in with a certain mindset you’re just limiting yourself. I don’t really have a creative process, sometimes an idea just hits you and you have to get it sketched down as fast as you can. It might sit there untouched for six months while you work on other stuff but I try not to throw away any projects. There’s no point in rushing things if you’re not feeling the inspiration to work on it all the time. If you come back to a project with fresh ears it can do a lot of good.”
You illustrate on the side. Forest Swords said something interesting about how being a designer informs his music in a recent FACT interview: “Because I’m a designer, and I’ve trained as a designer, I quite often think in terms of modular projects.” Can you relate to this at all? Does the creative process when you’re illustrating mirror that of when you’re producing? “It probably does, yeah, just in the way that I work. But again I don’t really notice it. I know that when I first started producing I tried to build up the music the same way I would a painting but things have kind of evolved since then. You end up learning your own methods and just develop on them.” Would you ever be interested in designing your own artwork? “Possibly one day. I think I would rather design someone else’s artwork than my own; I’ve got a lot of ideas that just don’t fit any of my stuff. I do like to hold a lot of creative control when it comes to the artwork for my own releases but I don’t like to get too involved. I would rather work personally with artists, photographers and designers that I really like, and just help direct.”
Finally, what else is on the horizon for you? “I’m working on a set of EPs that should be ready for release early next year. I’ve been holding onto a lot of stuff and I’m really excited to get it out.”
Functions of the Now: Inkke by TRUANTS Continue Reading →
Words by Sophie Kindreich, 05 September 2013. Tags: FOTN | Leave a comment
Yoshito Murakami – Mu To Eien
Discovering Yoshito Murakami‘s “Mu To Eien” LP happened by pure chance while browsing the Youtube channel of Truants’ favourite Bandshell – a very happy accident, as this is perhaps one of the most interesting and rewarding ambient releases of the year so far. From what little information is available about Yoshito Murakami, we know that he is from Amagasaki, Japan and this is his first full-length work, released by Timed Released Sound (a label which specialises in electroacoustic and ambient music). The stated aim of the project was to create a series of compositions which would reflect the relationship between Japan’s history, old traditions and natural beauty with its more recent past characterised by, among other developments, rapid industrialisation and technological progress.
The album opens with the brief, plaintive ambient sketch “Prelude for ‘Mu To Eien’”. The mood is further set by the melodic drones and minor-key piano of the aptly-named “Light of Shadow”. On “Mizu No Shimidashi” similar dronescapes are joined at the crescendo of the piece by the gentle plucking of an acoustic guitar. “Jomon Sea” signals a change in tone from the tranquil opening – in one of the album’s highlights, a machine-like hum and distinctly “electronic” sheets of sound hang over a recording of what sounds like surf washing over a beach. The piano in “Quiet Summer, White Mountain” has a more central presence and is more assertive than earlier in the album, an emotional peak of sorts. What follows as the listener is guided through various landscapes and locales by Murakami is more evocative deployment of drone, piano, guitar, digital fuzz and field recordings, all masterfully and meticulously balanced with each other.
The packaging of the deluxe version of this already limited release – “antique Japanese paper ephemera, old fold out tissue maps of Japanese locales, Meiji era apothecary ledger pages, and a double sided insert printed on bamboo veneer” enclosed alongside cherry blossoms in an envelope of vellum, is quite extravagant and some may argue that it represents a peak form of the obsession with musical collectibles. However, these objects (a video showing them in detail can be seen in this video, while a more sparse version of the album is still available here) most crucially provide aesthetic and historical context for the music contained within – in particular the 8mm film of the earthquake which struck Japan in 1923. This album being a mediation on the tension between tradition, nature and industry, one needn’t make too much of a logical jump to make a connection between that event and the tragic events in Fukushima, which were caused by a natural disaster but amplified by human-made factors. Details such as these lend added weight to an already impressive piece of work.
Stream: Yoshito Murakami – Quiet Summer, White Mountain (Time Released Sound )
Words by Eradj Yakubov, 03 September 2013. Leave a comment
Chronicles: August Heat
August was a crazy month in hip-hop. Between the flood of mixtapes released and Kendrick’s bar-raising verse, there was a lot to take in and sort through. Not to worry though, as we’ve corralled the heatwave of hip-hop here at Truants so you don’t get lost in the sauce. Here’s the notable drops of the month in our new feature that summarizes the mixtapes of the month.
A$AP Ferg stepped into the spotlight last year on A$AP Mob’s “Lords Never Worry”, specifically with his infectious hit “Work“. Over time, his highly anticipated debut mixtape-turned-album “Trap Lord” began to see the kind of blog-buzz seen previously with A$AP Rocky’s “LiveLoveA$AP”. While similar aesthetics are shared between the two rappers, Ferg brings his own delivery and flair that can only be wholly described as unique. A$AP Ferg raps like he’s straight off the streets of Gotham, with the imagery and storytelling to match.
Thoughts: It’s nice to hear Bone Thugs can still rap on “Lord”. “Shabba” has an uncanny way of getting stuck in your head; muttering “Shabba Shabba Ranks” to yourself as you complete mundane chores of the day. The “Work” remix featuring French Montana, Trinidad James, Schoolboy Q, and A$AP Rocky brought out all the stops but Schoolboy Q is the only one who truly raises any eyebrows with his verse. The album carries the electric current and dark streetlife aesthetic felt through “Lords Never Worry” one step further.
Recommended Songs: Let It Go, Murda Something (featuring Waka Flocka), Make a Scene
Is this Chief Keef’s auto-tune phase? It’s a pitfall (or an innovation, depending on the artist) seen previously among the likes of Kanye, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and many others (but definitely not Jay-Z) til they revert back to normal delivery or strike a balance between auto-tune & normalcy. “Bang Part 2″ could very well be Keef’s exercise in experimentation. Keep in mind this is only his 3rd mixtape and the 1st post-”Finally Rich” release. Should we expect more of robo-Keef? Hard to say. It’s likely, but we’re still in the beginning phases of (what should be) a long rap career for Keith Cozart. Overall, Bang Pt. 2 isn’t nearly as special as Chief Keef’s last two releases, but it does grow on the listener with each listen and is acceptable filler until his next release–which is titled Almighty So and rumored to drop in September.
Thoughts: A lot of the songs sound like they could be successors to songs off “Finally Rich”–whether it’s because of their lyrics or beats. On “Buy It”, Keef sounds like he’s doing his best Gucci Mane impression…which makes sense now that he’s signed to Guwap’s label. “No It Don’t” is all too similar to “They Know” (a Youtube smash that never saw a proper release) but not quite as good. The beat is still on point nonetheless. “Hard Way” sounds like a track left off “Back From the Dead” while “3” sounds like “Finally Rich Part 2″; I only wish it was longer. Most of the songs don’t even clock in at 2 minutes on “Bang Part 2″. Perhaps Keef is learning the beauty of brevity? “Gotta Glo Up One Day” is a grand track complete with horns that sound like a triumphant blend of “Back From the Dead” and “Finally Rich”. It treads close to pop territory for Keef and has become my favorite song on the mixtape. “Bank Closed” is one of the more playful and experimental tracks, sounding more true to the Chief Keef we know and love. “Hoz n Oz” is Keef at his laziest, muttering about a situation with a girl and something about Lady Gaga having an ass like Nicki Minaj. It’s the highest song on the mixtape, for sure.
Recommended Songs: “Gotta Glo Up One Day”, “Bank Closed”, “Chiefin’ Keef”
Words by Kyle Brayton, 02 September 2013. Tags: Chronicles | Leave a comment
Review: Gucci Mane – World War 3: Molly, Gas, Lean
Gucci Mane is no stranger to working prolifically, but 2013 has been an especially fruitful year for the Atlanta rapper. He’s dropped five solo mixtapes, four collaborative projects, and the Bricksquad compilation album is set to debut this fall. Earlier this month, Gucci released “World War 3: Molly, Gas, Lean”, a triumvirate of mixtapes rivaled in magnitude only by his 2009 trilogy “Cold War: Guccimerica, Great Brrritian, and Brrrussia”. Cancel all your afternoon appointments for a day, and you might have enough time to make it through all three—there are 54 tracks, spanning a total of roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes. You’ll be rewarded handsomely, though, as World War 3 delivers a satisfying variety of Gucci-flavored tracks.
“Molly”, “Gas”, and “Lean” don’t speak to any particular stylistic organization, but each tape features a different cast of producers: “Molly” includes Metro Boomin, Sonny Digital, and Dun Deal, “Gas” is a collective effort from the Bricksquad in-house production team 808 Mafia, while Zaytoven, C-Note, and Mike Will handle “Lean”. “Molly” and “Lean” are noticeably stronger than “Gas”, which amounts to little more than cookie-cutter, Lex Luger-style filler. “Molly” embodies the best of Gucci’s classic, effortless punchline delivery, with gems like “she got some big hips, I call that boy a hypocrite” and “your house ain’t bigger than my son room/ he turning eight soon, the Masi with the sun roof.” Making complex raps look bewilderingly simple is one of Gucci’s greatest strengths. That brilliance is most obvious during those soft, yet huge low-pass filter crush buildups of Metro Boomin’s beats: “I’m a walking work of art, body marked, getting smart dome/ gave me brain, bless her heart, taped it on my smartphone,” he says on “Don’t Look At Me.” Despite being a veteran of the southern mixtape circuit, Gucci rarely feels outdated when juxtaposed against newer rappers, and features from recent Bricksquad inductees Young Thug and Chief Keef (and a guy named Phil) indicate his attentiveness to rising talent.
“Lean” expands on this trend with guest verses from PeeWee Longway and Young Scooter, as well as bigger-name features like French Montana, 2 Chainz, and Future. Zaytoven’s eight years of collaboration with Gucci have produced some of the rapper’s most memorable tracks, and highlights like “Done With Her” and “I Quit” embody the signature uptempo hi-hat and keyboard combination that captures the spirit of their 2008-2010 golden age (not that Zaytoven ever really fell off, of course). Gucci’s double-time flow also resurfaces on “Intro” to great effect: “so I just pulled up in a Enzo, ho/Guwop came back in a Bentley on fours/pour me a four and forgot where to go/in a ghost but I’m lost just like Weezy and Zoe.” Deep references like that will only reveal themselves after repeated listens, and that’s precisely where Gucci excels—his unassuming lyrical style unfolds before you like a magic eye puzzle after hours of study. While you wait for that to happen, though, you have to sit and focus until you get dizzy.
Stream: Gucci Mane – Done With Her (feat. French Montana)
Gucci Mane’s World War 3: Molly, Gas and Lean are all out now. Download via Atrilli.
Words by Gabriel Herrera, 30 August 2013. Tags: Chronicles | Leave a comment
