March 8th, 2010 |
Posted in Album Reviews by zack
1999 was a long time ago, but it doesn’t really feel that way, does it? Maybe this is because The Aughts Decade never really spawned a true zeitgeist identity, but it undermines the fact that a decade has passed, a long time to continue to show and prove in the hip hop game.
In 1999, my friends and I thought the world was about to end. Maybe it did, for all we know. Maybe we just listened to too much Prince and The Isolationist.
That year, DJ Vadim released an earth shattering album for those of us who were waiting for the end. The album was The Isolationist. At that point, it was about the most cutting-edge shit you could get into. The MCs, M. Saayid, Beans, and Priest (known collectively as Anti-Pop Consortium) were off-the-wall (“Your ears are my punching bag/ Hydrogen slush), utilizing the negative space (where no raps live) as much as they did their own idiosyncratic flows. Much in the same way, the beats were spare and foreboding.
“Hydrogen Slush from The Isolationist
I bring this joint up because it was 10 years between this ground-breaking album and DJ Vadim’s last release, U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun. 10 years is a long time in the hip hop game. It was long enough for Jay Z to morph from an up-and-comer to a mogul, for De La Soul to go from top of the heap to over the hill. Long enough for Kanye West to arise from obscurity to ubiquity and back again and for Common to jump the shark completely, making an atrocious album on whose cover he wore guy-liner. Countless labels and artists have come and gone since then (Def Jux or Canibus, anyone? OK, Def Jux is still around, but it seems like they’re more of a clothing and accessories company now.) Hip hop since 1999 has become a part of the pop music template, a seemingly seamless co-option that has basically killed the genre or bestowed upon it everlasting life, depending on whom you ask.
To be sure, DJ Vadim has changed a lot since 1999, too. He got married, to Yarah Bravo, went through some loss as well as cancer of the eye (ouch), toured the world, and participated in countless collaborations. His most recent effort, U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun is a mish-mash of styles that should please everyone.
“This is something I would never have done ten years ago, let alone on my last album,” avers Vadim. “I feel like the album bridges gaps between what is eclectic and what is mainstream, as well as between genres like soul, hip hop, reggae, downtempo and electronica. It’s definitely a move towards more electronic sounds from The Soundcatcher” – maybe like Soul2Soul meets Daft Punk.”
That quote exemplifies the spirit of this album completely. It swings back and forth from reggae to dubstep, from pop hip hop to underground banger. Imaginashun holds your attention due to this genre schizophrenia, as well as the overall accessibility. The first three tracks: “Soldier,” “Imaginashun,” and “That Life” run the gamut from reggae/dancehall to a trance-like club track to a “conscious” hip hop cut with infectious soul samples. Imaginashun goes on like this, refusing to conform to the contours of its container, breaking free and breaking molds.
Maybe you can lurn imaginashun.
In 1999, I admired The Isolationist for its single-mindedness; its willful determination to conform to a style. I could see myself ridiculing Imaginashun ten years ago, calling it too pop, maybe even a sell-out. However, now I realize that there is a difference between becoming accessible and selling out. Maybe it has taken me ten years to become a more eclectic and receptive listener. Or perhaps it has taken Vadim these ten years to find the right balance. It’s like a colorblind person suddenly seeing in Technicolor.
He seems to move effortlessly between styles. In addition to the three aforementioned tracks, “Thrill Seeker” is a wriggly, slippery funk number, featuring the powerful voice of Sabira Jade. “Saturday,” featuring Pugz Atomz, reminds me of an early-90s commercial radio jam. You know, like when you used to sit by the stereo and press record when your favorite song came on, played it non-stop on your Walkman, then recorded over it two weeks later when the new flavor came out, until the tape eventually melted down to the basic carbon atoms. “Strictly Rockers” and “Under Your Hat” move to the reggae/dub realm with satisfying results. Yarah Bravo dominates “You Are Yours” with both her singing and rapping. “Maximum” featuring La Methode takes us to France with a creepy track built around old chanson samples. This cut kind of weirds me out a little bit, but in a good way. It sounds like the soundtrack to cartoons based on a trip to the haunted house. Pugz Atomz returns strong, along with Wes Restless on “Always a Lady, ” a sweet little hip hop love joint. Vadim even drops some disco on us, cashing in on the latest revival with “Thrill” and “Rock Dem Hot”. “Hidden Pleasure” plays around with ska.
“You are Yours from DJ Vadim feat. Yarah Bravo
If you had a qualm about the album, it would probably be that it is not cohesive. It is more like a great mixtape, which I happen to like. However, some people like more of an overall conceptual cohesion that is lacking here. I like to hear Vadim working in a select genre over the course of an album, like he does on The Isolationist or the album La Mami Internacional. Also, in my opinion, there are some weaker tracks that act as filler. “Beijos,” kind of a ballad-y hip hop beat; and “Game Tight,” which samples an American soap opera theme song, come to mind immediately.
Maybe there is no over-arching conceptual theme, but the omnipresent vibe on Imaginashun is fun. This can be one of those albums you put on at a party and just let it run straight through. It is apparent that Vadim has honed his craft over the years, expanded his stable of collaborators, and found a way to dabble in almost every imaginable genre. What’s next, DJ Vadim, klezmer? Polka? I wouldn’t put it past him. Judging from this album, he would probably make it super rump-shaking.
Good news for you: Vadim and Yarah Bravo are coming to Shanghai (again). This is a Free the Wax show at the Shelter on March 12th. More awesomeness: Vadim and Yarah Bravo will be putting on a workshop/show at the Source store the day before. Come down to find out how Vadim makes the tracks so funky.
tags: DJ Vadim - Free the Wax - Hip Hop - The Isolationist - UK - Yarah Bravo
January 19th, 2010 |
Posted in Album Reviews by emma
There are some stories that have been told over and over again in pop music, revealing some inherent limitations to autobiographical lyrics. You fell in love with a girl? Yawn. You fell in love with a girl, who was later abducted at gunpoint by mercenaries? Tell me that story. Over blaring hip-hop beats.
K’Naan (née Keinan Abdi Warsame) was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and fled in 1991 as the country fell into civil war. The family settled in Toronto, where K’Naan learned English by phonetically transcribing rap lyrics. The artist got his break by confronting the UN High Commissioner on Refugees with protest poetry. His latest album, “Troubadour”, was released on 2009 and it’s his biggest to date. K’Naan gives it all he’s got, dropping an album of catchy songs, interesting arrangements, and fresh, compelling stories.
“Troubadour” runs through some of the conventions of a hip hop album (establishing street cred, drumming up some empathy) but we’re hearing a new angle. K’Naan gets the heart pumping with the intro “T.I.A” (This is Africa), driven by pounding percussion, electronic bleeps and zaps, and the repeated exclaimation “Hooray!” in lieu of a chorus, a word that sounds creepy and menacing in the context of the song. He establishes his street cred in this song and others, but by describing his early years growing up in what Foreign Policy Magazine describes as “The Most Dangerous Country on Earth”. “It’s no secret we know how to squeeze lead/ But the Pre-set is not to have to squeeze it,” he rhymes. Surviving childhood in Mogadishu during interminable civil war is the ultimate badass trump card.
“Troubadour” stays fresh by switching up styles and mixing in guest appearances, maintaining critical danceability throughout. Guest singer Adam Levine (Maroon 5) breaks some of the gravitas with the pure pop rush of “Bang Bang”. “ABC” recalls Washington DC’s Go-Go scene with heavy bass and horn samples supported by Chubb Rock’s commanding baritone. “Take a Minute” distances K’Naan from other hotheads of the genre, with slow piano chords under a pledge to emulate the high-mindedness of his family in tough times. “I take inspiration from the most heinous of situations/ Creating medication out my own tribulations/ Dear Africa, you helped me write this/ By showing me to give is priceless”.
An early supporter, Mos Def joins in for “America” and we get to hear the troubadour rhyming in his first language, Somali, long enough for it to be cool, but not so long that it alienates.
K’Naan keeps emotions running high with heart-tugging rhymes and some seriously intense drum and string arrangements. The real showstopper is the song “Waving Flag”, which weaves childhood aspirations with world-weary socially conscious lyrics. “When I get older/ I will be stronger/ They’ll call me freedom/ Just like a waving flag.”
A song devoted to a childhood sweetheart “Fatima” tells the story of innocent love, ended when the titular heroine is abducted by gunmen. A delicate guitar riff is punctuated by French horns, and K’Naan proves his lyrical prowess in managing to find a rhyme for the American state of Connecticut (“delicate”, FYI).
The album employs almost every tool in the arsenal: An eclectic range of styles, some heavy production, big name guest stars, and high-drama lyrics. It makes for a compelling album that merits repeat listens and a slot on your party playlist. Originally, K’Naan gained a sizable following touring Canada with a small band, including an acoustic guitar player and a djembe player. I can’t help but wonder if he might benefit from showing a little more restraint with his production to keep the songs feeling more organic. I look forward to hearing future releases with a more stripped-down feel.
As the man says: “I still know how to get down, I still know how to vibe out.”
tags: 2009 - Hip Hop - K'naan - Somalia - Troubadour
June 17th, 2009 |
Posted in Articles by mache
He says his influences go from old classic such as Chopin, to new classics like Boards of Canada, and his sounds have been compared with those of Flying Lotus, Burial, Battles, and Ratatat. Jason Chung, aka Nosaj Thing is emerging from darkness, straight into the spotlights with laptops, beating gadgets, and good vibes to forge his musical path. After years of DJing in LA, Nosaj Thing got highlighted last year because of his impressive remixes. Noticed by producers and other musicians he has been directed to brighter spaces, for his music to be properly rejoiced in.
Last June 9th Nosaj Thing released his first LP “Drift” by Alpha Pup Records. The album has been warmly welcome by the world electronic community. Nosaj Thing is getting more coverage every day. Now 23 years old, he began his sonic trip at the tender age of 13. He experimented with sounds coming from hip hop, drum ‘n bass, classic, indie rock, and electronica. “Drift” is a good recounting of his introduction to music, with atmospheres in chilled landscapes and peaceful tones. As he said to Flavorwire, “Certain songs that I write, for me, I think of as therapeutic. I start off by doing some basic sound design and try to sculpt a sound to fit the mood I’m in. Then I add a chord progression or melody; I rarely start with drums.”
Nosaj Thing will be playing Shanghai, sponsored by Free the Wax, this Friday at YuYinTang. On Saturday he will do a workshop on production work and beat making at The Factory.
For now, just get these two tracks from his 2006 EP, “Octopus”. Enjoy the beats.
Flying Lotus – Nosaj Thing Remix “Camel”
Radiohead – Nosaj Thing Remix “Reckoner”
tags: Burial - Canada - Drum 'n Bass - Electronic - Free the Wax - gadgets - Hip Hop - Indie - Racks - Ratatat - Rock - Shanghai - YuYinTang
June 9th, 2009 |
Posted in Articles by zack
Sorry, no ShanghaiPRIDE listings here. To access those, we will direct you here. However, we do have island blues, punk rock, hip-hop, and CRACK HOUSE!
Thursday, June 11
Break for Borneo at Kaiba Belgian Beer Bar, 6:30-8 PM
I am going to follow the lead of the Big Duck and use this platform to shamelessly promote my own band. We are a four-piece group with two guitarists, occasional ukelele, percussion by a dashingly handsome young drummer, and bass stylings by the one and only Jay Lasry. Three of the four above facts are true. You will just have to come to Kaiba to find out which. The music is chill, the beer is chilled, and the people are the chillest of all.
GoodByeBye Dropkicks at YuYinTang, 9 PM
Hey, I’ve got a great idea: What if after you go see Break for Borneo at Kaiba, you hail a cab, head southwest, and check out the punk band The Dropkicks? Just throwing this out there. The Dropkicks are a three-piece punk band. Good, with a singer who has a very distinctive growl. And you will never get to see them at YuYinTang again. So why don’t you carry out the aforementioned plan? We’ll call it “Get in the Cab I”. I love it when a plan comes together.
Friday, June 12
Mobb Deep at Racks, 10 PM
Not much more to be said that hasn’t been said here. This shit is set to pop. Get there.
Editor’s note: It is also possible that Mobb Deep will be going against a giant of turntablism, DJ Shortkut, from the World Famous Beat Junkies crew on this night at Shelter. However, I’m a bit dubious, since the previous installment last week was canceled due to visa problems. I will keep you posted after we go to press. Stay tuned to Layabozi for all your breaking music news.
Saturday, June 13
Persian Crack House Syndicate + MC Stride at Shelter, 10 PM until You Stayed Out ‘Til WHEN?!?!?
Crack House is probably the greatest genre name since sliced bread. That didn’t make much sense. Come to think of it, that whole “greatest thing since sliced bread” always seemed a bit cockamamie to me. Oh well. I do like the genre name, though, and it seems to fit this twitchy, fidgety, spun-out music quite nicely. Go here for some more information on the show. 50 chips. Bring your own rock.
Sunday, June 14
Ghostface Killah at Zhijiang Dream Factory, 8 PM Doors
See Mobb Deep, above, and here. This should be a killer show so you should, you know, GO.
tags: Break for Borneo - Crack House - Dropkicks - Ghostface Killah - Hip Hop - Island Blues - Kaiba - MC Stride - Mobb Deep - Punk Rock - Racks - sliced bread - The Shelter - YuYinTang - Zhijiang Dream Factory
1999 was a long time ago, but it doesn’t really feel that way, does it? Maybe this is because The Aughts Decade never really spawned a true zeitgeist identity, but it undermines the fact that a decade has passed, a long time to continue to show and prove in the hip hop game.
To be sure, DJ Vadim has changed a lot since 1999, too. He got married, to Yarah Bravo, went through some loss as well as cancer of the eye (ouch), toured the world, and participated in countless collaborations. His most recent effort, U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun is a mish-mash of styles that should please everyone. 
If you had a qualm about the album, it would probably be that it is not cohesive. It is more like a great mixtape, which I happen to like. However, some people like more of an overall conceptual cohesion that is lacking here. I like to hear Vadim working in a select genre over the course of an album, like he does on The Isolationist or the album La Mami Internacional. Also, in my opinion, there are some weaker tracks that act as filler. “Beijos,” kind of a ballad-y hip hop beat; and “Game Tight,” which samples an American soap opera theme song, come to mind immediately.
