The Militia crew unloads a massive four-tracker centered on tough beats and futuristic, space-age atmospheres. Stakka & Skinny drop the bass-heavy “Weight Gain” before the team links up for the eerie, head-nodding “1999.” The second disc is really where it’s at, as the boys rework “Brainwash” into a bone-shattering punisher before making way for the aptly titled “Thrill Seeker.”
Stakka Heavy Load EP
Another smoking four-pack, this time featuring plenty of new faces locking skulls with the main man himself. First up, Stakka and Gridlok roll out the ill, drum-heavy “Hit ‘n’ Run,” before Stakka and Skinny take on the razor-toothed “Knuckles.” Not to be outdone, Jae Kennedy, Kaos and Karl K re-work “Echo Chamber” into a sweaty, nasty number that clears the way for the jaw-dropping cinematic funk on Stakka and Hochi’s “Mars Attacks.” Top-notch business.
J-Live Walkman Music
J is one of the most underrated MCs of our time. What can I say-this dood don’t make wack shit. This one is classic J-Live doing what he does best: making good songs. If you’re a fan like me, you won’t be hating.
Tanz Rims
This joint stuck in my head ever since I heard Jeff mixing it a couple months ago, and I’m still singing the chorus in my head. It’s the lead 12 of A Touch Of Jazz’s Soundtrack To The Streets. I’m not feeling this just because it’s my people-the fact is, it’s a hott song. Tanz is one to check for in the future…don’t sleep.
kev brown Power Bars
What can I say about Kev Brown? This dood is krazy nice on both the beats and the mic. Another A Touch Of Jazz affiliate, Kev has proven he’s a heavyweight, with some of the illest basslines on beats. And his chopped-up melodic piano and guitar riffs make his sound rise above others. The B-side is just as ill, with an appearance by Grap Luva.
Nikakoi Sentimental
Sentimental feels like the soundtrack to a ’60s movie about the distant future, but it’s not retro. Rather, Nikakoi’s shiny robot melodies and lilting chimes give the entire record a sense of optimism and bittersweet nostalgia at the same time, while twittering machined beats insinuate plots involving personified computers. It’s a rather lovely record, full of mysterious atmospheres that will please fans of the Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 2. Perfect for listening to late, late at night, or very early in the morning.
Mars Ill Backbreakanomics
A lot of indie hip-hop is marred by muddy production, but Mars Ill producer Dust serves up plenty to sink your teeth into on Backbreakonomics, from well-done, but standard, dusty funk breaks to considerably more adventurous and hard-hitting ’60s rock and blues-flavored cuts. Meanwhile, MC manCHILD lays down his credo-Believe it or not, we don’t claim to represent “every element of hip-hop” before launching into confessional, yet still fairly hard-hitting and political lyrics. The Atlanta duo’s formula could use some tightening up, but these cats are hungry and have more to say with their beats and rhymes than most of the abstract backpacks.
Annual Music Technology Issue
Richie Hawtin makes a fresh return as Plastikman in XLR8R‘s second annual music technology issue. It’s not all about techno, though, as shown in features about Lyrics Born, Theo Parrish, Five Deez, Wiley Kat, Jonny L and Future Folk. An extended music technology section showcases tech industry pioneers as well as pages of hardware, synths, software and sampler reviews. Other features include Barcelona Graffiti, a traveling music and art show, and Jimmy Edgar.
Sa Smash Illy
Straight out of Columbus, OH, Def Jux’s newest duo Camutao and Metro will change the conventional attitude about Def Jux. SA Smash are the kids who you might have got jacked by and then they were in the spotlight and you couldn’t do anything about it.
Phuturistix Feel It Out
Hospital has a taste for all things uplifting, from High Contrast’s glossy new wave drum & bass, to Landslide’s bouncy breaks. Two-step master and outer-London resident Zed Bias and his Manchester-based cohort DJ Injekta’s debut album continues in this tradition. Feel It Out is infused with soulful, smart vocals, be it the deft lyrics of MC Mayhem or Uncut frontwoman Jenna G’s tenor. Both crescendo over ebullient jazzy horn sections and garage-driven handclaps, culminating in irresistible tracks like “Beautiful” and “Sweet Journey.” The album as a whole, though, delivers more than the elevating tunes: the cleverly-named standout “Thelonius Punk”‘s sexy basslines rumble alongside choppy breaks, epitomizing the surgical treatment these guys have just given both UK garage and the Hospital label itself.
