Damscray – Los Animales EP

Damscray – Los Animales EP (Humanworkshop)

Well, it’s been in the pipeline for a while and a few days ago it emerged into the light of day, a brand spanking new release from Damscray, that Russian purveyor of experimentally. dark/intriguing Trip Hop. Or soundscapes. Or something.

Mr Busalot – Test Screening of The Story Of Mr Busalot

Mr Busalot – Test Screening of The Story Of Mr Busalot (Jamendo)

It’s not often that Jamendo turns up something that really counts as odd. Despite the neverending attempts of a legion of bedroom producers to stand out from the crowd by virtue of creating ever more obscure and unlistenable beats it’s rare that a release actually leaves me raising an eyebrow. And it’s even rarer when it actually makes me laugh. And it’s an out and out miracle when that release also happens to be an English Hip-Hop one. In fact, not just that, but it’s from South East London which just happens to be my little corner of the metropolis, which not only obliges me to review it but also obliges Mr Busalot’s efforts to be half decent given his Londoner status. And mercifully my faith in the inherent superiority of anything from SE London goes unchallenged for the short duration of this entertainingly at ease with itself album.

Black Era – Third Eye Guerilla

 

 

Black Era – Third Eye Guerilla (Aquietbump)

Heavy, slow and brooding but still just warm enough to be a relaxed listen. There’s a fairly brief summary of a rather good EP although leaving it at that might not quite justify my existence. ‘Third Eye Guerilla’, coming from the Aquietbump NetLabel, is a compact but beautifully formed hit of dark and vaguely abstract Trip Hop which noticably sets out to focus on an edgy, rather grim vibe.

SCLWN – White Rabbit/New Yeah

 

SCLWN – White Rabbit/New Yeah (Hool-a-Hop Records)

It all seems to be happening in Russia at the moment, barely any time at all after releasing his solo effort ‘Horseboy’ Damscray is back to teaming up with SCLWN to release an EP length follow up to ‘Everything is OK’, which I reviewed a while back and found to be not too bad at all.

Pics Frunk – Puppy Kernel Compilation

Pics Frunk – Puppy Kernel Compilation (Bump Foot)

Coming from Argentine musician Alejandro Nava (a.k.a Pics Frunk) and via Japanese NetLabel ‘Bump Foot’ the ‘Puppy Kernel Compilation’ is proper bedroom producer fair, right down to the creator citing Linux as an influence, which pushes the boundaries of nerdishness to breaking point really, even if that doesn’t mean much with regard to the actually quality here.

Tab – Poet in the Darkness

Tab – Poet in the Dark (Jamendo)

Good production, good vocals, good lyrics, on a CC Hip-Hop album? Why yes, yes indeed and I was surprised too. For some reason the Creative Commons scene always seem to have trouble getting Hip-Hop right, generally there’s an abundance of good producers plying their trade but never having anything to do with Rappers, in fact they have trouble collaborating with anyone which is probably because they’re too busy being locked away with a computer and fantasies about their own little niche. Tab however is a pleasant exception to the usual way of things in that he invests equal amounts in both sides of Hip-Hop. Although his method may be a little demanding for most given that he both produces the majority of this album and raps on it too, as well as playing the guitar, which would stretch the talent and patience of most and leaves me wondering exactly what’s left for his usual group, The Dead Poets, to do when he’s not busy being a solo artist.