Having cleared the decks of solo albums and side projects, the legendary Hiero crew reconvenes to drop its latest family offering. Full Circle makes it abundantly clear that Hiero can still sling syllables with the best of them-Del and Pep Love in particular shine brightly on every track they grace. However, the album is undermined by lame hooks and hit-or-miss production; sampling laws have not been kind to the crew, as getting super-choppy is not a Hiero fort?. For every poor track (“Shift Shape”), there’s at least one heater (“Classic”), so overall, the album succeeds more than it fails. But it’s not exceptional.
Various Dis-Jointed
Your friendly neighborhood Groove Merchants Cool Chris and Vinnie Esparza come correct with this stellar comp. Given the depth of Chris and Vinnie’s crates, this could have easily been an obscure record wank-a-thon. And while the cuts are pretty rare for the most part, the emphasis here is on a variety of quality dancefloor music, from Dub Diablo’s sublime cut ‘n’ paste ode “The Shape Up” to Zap Pow’s “Lottery Spin,” a dubbed-out cover of Kool & The Gang’s “N.T.” There’s a song for just about every dancefloor mood to be found here, making it as versatile as it is fun to listen to. Dis-jointed is a well-executed comp, light on pomp and circumstance, heavy on quality.
Divers One A.M.
Chicago rhymer Diverse’s name has been bouncing around for a hot minute now. Last seen knocking mighty Mos Def straight off the wax of Chocolate Industries’ Urban Renewal comp, it’s now One A.M. and Diverse is ready to step up and slam the mic down ’til it’s broke. RJD2 heats the beats for “Certified,” with Diverse verbally dueling a dirty guitar riff that could pass for vintage Keith Richards. Diverse brings talented friends like Madlib and Lyrics Born in for variety, but he hardly needs the help. His fast, staccato style makes up for a lack of vocal range by packing in the rhymes and nimbly leaping from topic to topic, jumping from furious battle rhymes to the reflective relationship-related verses of the Prefuse 73-produced “Just Biz.” Diverse indeed.
Pepe Deluxe Beatitude
Finnish duo Pepe Deluxe has returned with a perplexingly good record. Beatitude starts throwing hooks and surprises right out of the starting blocks: “Just Let Go” is an amiable funk warm-up, then “Salami Fever” tears a hole in the speaker with snarling guitars and a weird processed vocal growl. By mid-album, they’re constructing moody beatscapes complete with ethereal female vocals, wacky organ rave-ups, and ’60s soul workouts like “Girl!” There’s even a backyard party with shout-along Spanish vocals (“Vamos Muchachos”) to wrap it up. Pepe Deluxe’s energy and disrespect for genre orthodoxy makes this willfully eclectic mess all hang together. “
Lyrics Born Later That Day
Former Latyrx MC Lyrics Born has built a funhouse of funk called Later That Day, melding hip-hop backbeats with soul shine, funk grit and straight up rock. Lyrics Born twists his unique voice over and around the rhythms, bouncing from West Coast straight rhymes to dancehall toasting to triple-time spoken word. A rocket opening peaks with the tremendous anthem “Callin’ Out” and yields to a slow spot of dull skits, but his team-up with Lateef the Truth Speaker on the slow-build vamp “Last Trumpet” recovers the momentum nicely. A bit more of the other Quannum MCs would have been great, but Lyrics Born has enough variety in his head and in his voice to carry the day.
Apparat Duplex
Shitkatapult’s main stain (the other co-owner being T. Raumschmiere) releases a gorgeous second full-length of haunting, melodic IDM. On Duplex, he pushes a distinctive, swiftly crumpled beat to the forefront, tempering evocatively vibrant sax strains with prominently splattered breaks. Apparat even treats us to some vocal tracks, and his high voice-like Thom Yorke but with a sweet hoarseness all its own-floats suspended above the buzzing, furiously tapping fray. Most of Duplex’s tracks conjure a similar sense of hovering adrift, as if they were about the colors and shapes of the half-dying, or maybe the half-birthed, his beats riddling the divide between with a million little holes.
Various Russsendisko
Ska, surf rock and punk-lite throw open the Iron Curtain in this collection of Russian bands playing in a Berlin club on an expat alternative tip. Ain’t no cosmopolitan beats on this thing; its all weird, awkwardly deep vocals and endearingly clumsy fusions between a traditional Russian aesthetic (chock full of minor key horn oompas and accordions), indeterminate folkiness and swingin’ ska. A refreshing take on the mixing of genres that might horrify the urban sophisticate within as your big toe taps in goofy polka time.
Holgistar Starwars Remixes
This EP keeps the vibe alive with even more mixes from this Berlin label’s top producers. D. Diggler, DJ Sebrok, DJ Viberation and DJ Emerson work approaches that range from experimental hues to full-on club-driven techno. Emerson offers the hardest hitting mix, as the original parts shine with his brilliant bassline polish.
Btrax vs. Void South Coast Sleaze EP
Founder Justin Berkovi and Geushky Records manager Ian Void bring to vinyl what they’ve been dishing out on dancefloors for many years. Here they assemble a variety of timbres, as a shuffled 909 groove receives the disco treatment, a haunting electro jam embellishes upon wild Waldorf waves, and a straight-ahead loopy drum track consumes an automated atmosphere. For a funk-laden techno thesis, you need look no further.
Pascal Feos Self-Reflexion (The Missing Tracks)
This EP is a supplement that completes Pascal’s Reflexion album, released early this year. Focusing heavily on the methodology of FM synthesis, Pascal injects voices that are quite experimental and instills a heavy dawning of movement. From thick square-wave bass loops to varied synth textures, this release will appeal to those looking for innovative tech.
