Right from the beginning, ETHANPIL‘s EP, ‘FUK Being Famous Vol.1’ bursts with trap-like beats combined with heavy-rolling bass, that just pops and hits between the eyes… and trust me on this one, this mini collection is more than ready to BLOW OFF the roof of any house party.
‘UK Being Famous Vol.1’ slows down (just a little) with tracks, ‘You Doing 2 Much’, ‘Slow’ and ‘Disrepectful Shiit’ all still retaining the trap/heavy bass combo (which is obviously a neat trademark of this slick spitter) but with a slight laid-back feel in the air. The EP bounces right back to speed with ‘Active’, bringing back that much-needed, head-bopping energy from the beginning.
All I have to say about this EP is, if you wanna start your summer right, well this is the best place to start. Check out ‘UK Being Famous Vol.1’ below and songs recommendations…
Must listens: Fuk Being Famous, 100K, Slow, Disrespectful Shiit
I was sooo elated when South African rapper/producer J.A.S slipped me his latest album, ‘L.I.F.E: The Cause’ – it seemed ages since he grace his presence on this blog with previous project, ‘#Don’tSleepOnJAS’, which possesses electronic/downtempo soundscapes with infectious Trip-hop beats/bass.
With this latest album, J.A.S retains the same theme from the previous project, but delving further into the downtempo route with long-term collaborators, South African singers Palesa Blossom and Nevita, who both provide a pleasingly trippy experience with their alluringly soulful vocals with tracks such as ‘L.I.FE’, ‘Controlled’ ‘Moth to A Flame’ and ‘Scattered.’
J.A.S also adds another long-collaborator, South African acclaimed rapper, Sy’Defect to the impressive album’s lineup. Among the chilled vibes of the seven-track project, Sy’Defect injects such vibrancy with his semi-rapid flow to the delicate backdrop of tracks, ‘Controlled’ and ‘Scattered.’
Overall, ‘L.I.F.E: The Cause’ is a great escapism album to kick back with some friends and to forget about the great maze called life. Have a listen below…
When it comes to dropping albums, rapper 5TASH doesn’t do half measures and delivers 15 fresh tracks through his latest full-length album, ‘I, The Collector’.
Unlike to his previous set, ‘I, 5tash Banks’, which has a braggadocious presence throughout, ‘I, The Collector’ is a little more laid back in comparison, starting off with a smooth 80s soulful funk bounce with tracks like ‘Real P’ + and ‘Get Up’. This album sees the rapper experiments with laid-back trap sounds through tracks such as ‘Waisted’, ‘Steve Banks (I, The Collector)’ and ‘Movie’, where he works in his askew, gravelly flow which set him apart from his rap contemporaries.
Not what I expected from 5tash, but nevertheless it’s great to see a different side to this great rap contender. Check out ‘I, The Collector’ below…
Must listen: Real P +; Get Up!; Wvlk, P’ing! (Big Puddle); 6+6
Sampled from Darko The Super’s 2021 album, ‘Great White Buffalo’, DEAN FRIEDMAN’s mammoth album, ‘The Dean And I’ is a compilation that can be enjoyed across generations – from the futuristic sounds of intro single, ‘You’re Such A Flirt’, to pop soulful ballads inspired from the seventies and eighties (such as Lucky Stars, Little Green Lady and Buy My Baby A Car) and also chirpy pieces (Nookie In The Mail, McDonald’s Girl and The Deli Song) that puts you in the mind of the Grease Musical, particularly ‘McDonald’s Girl’.
Covering array of topics relating to love young and adolescence, the album features coming-of-age tales ‘Don’t You Ever Dare’ and ‘Are You Ready Yet,’ which focus on the responsibilities of adulthood and the decisions we make, while ‘Rocking Chair (It’s Gonna Be Alright)’ is a positive reaffirmation that when times are bad, they’ll always get better.
‘The Dean And I’ may be 20-track long, but by no means will you not lose attention as Friedman’s high-spirited take on the aforementioned topics on the collection just displays him as one of America’s greatest songwriters around.
Released through Darko The Super’s indie label, U Don’t Deserve This Beautiful Art, ‘The Dean And I’ is now available for your pleasure.
Must Listen: Lucky Stars; Little Green Lady; Buy My Baby A Car; Let Down Your Hair
In the midst of unprecedented times brought by Covid-19 pandemic back in March 2020, London producer OBSIDIAN CANE was about to throw in the towel as the uncertainty of the music industry took its toll; with clubs and music festivals shutting down one by one. As he was about to turn his back on the music industry for good, his manager gave him one piece of valuable advice and that was to: keep releasing music. After all, people will be listening to music more than ever, now they were effectively in complete isolation. Following the advice of his manager, Obsidian produced a collection of music and his debut EP Reset was born.
Released on August 2020, Reset EP signifies the rebirth of his musical direction under a new alias. In his former life, Obsidian Cane scored a club hit, ‘I Need a Rhythm’ as UKG duo KP with fellow acclaimed producer Paul Benjamin. He also produced music for BBC1, BBC2, amongst others. As his new direction in the music industry goes from strength to strength, Obsidian released his second EP Reset II, where he called upon three promising upcoming singers/songwriters who are holding their own in London’s music scene: Joy Ami, Ferraz and Stacey Pierre – all of which their featured tracks signifies the EP theme of regrowth.
Joy Ami’s ‘Mr. Creep’ and Ferraz’s ‘Shine’ both tell the story of breaking away from the overbearing and controlling partner, feeling completely freeing themselves from the language that was set upon them, thus feeling renewed. Stacey Pierre concludes the mini project with a different perspective of renewal with ‘Secret Place’: the message of this single is that it’s OK to step into your personal to regained your yourself in order to fight another day.
Sonically, the EP possesses that familiar sound of UKG, that’ll be most welcomed to the nostalgics of the 90s version of the genre, while simultaneously sitting well with the younger generation thanks to its fresh spin.
Released on Christmas Eve, ‘Reset’ II EP was perfectly timed for release into the new year, as subconsciously it provokes all of us to release ourselves from all the luggage that’s weighting us down and look forward to be a better (and revitalised) version of ourselves.
