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| Ocean Records Presents... Indie Sessions Vol. 1 CD [Ocean] Seattle, USA |
The Lineup includes Hip-Hop superstars, Al Tariq and DJ Mr. Supreme amongst many others. DJ Supreme also plays host for the snippet mixtape that will be distributed during the Indie Sessions Vol. 1 promotional campaign. The LP kicks off with a short sharp shock of Beatbox from Tacoma residents Wojack. Quickly following the CD tracklist storms through tuff tracks, the first from Atlanta's Prophetix who deliver a super hypnotic choon T.U.G. (True Urban Grit) that just needs to be bumped at maximum volume. A sweet flute loop is hooked up with a hardcore groove for one of my favourite tracks in a long time. Being a compilation it seems every act has been able to provide their hardest bangers and Doujah Raze do the same. A guitar lick backs this funky groove which with the squeaky sample and the smooth flow makes Irish Cream live up to its name and rep Alexandria to the fullest. Mr Dog & Mad Money offer up a thoroughly modern production for all those riderz out there and Splitt hooks up a beautiful acoustic guitar sample for All Day a gentle and reflective track that is defiantly one to reminisce to. Strik & Krusal ft. J1 hook up some Eastern sitar sounds for a rump shaking club track about chirpsing gyal on a night out. The fat tracks come one after another, Mr. Supreme ft. Al Tariq dropping the next, Run The Show which for me has a distinctive Beatnuts type feel. A solid bass line driven track is just the canvas Al Tariq needs to flex his convoluted flows. Redskin ft. Krumsnatcha is another track that links up unknowns with artists who have already ad a bit of exposure. Krumsnatcha drops in his own gruff tones. This Goes Out perhaps misses the mark a touch in terms of impact when contrasted with the other tracks on here due to its simplistic percussion instrumentation. The chorus urging people to 'Bounce to this' seems a bit out of place on a track which lacks the energy for a jump up feel. Mz Tasti from Rialto, California sits in the middle of the compilation and gives a nice diversion from the unsurprisingly male dominated release. Ab Normal from Washington drops the next bomb which with a couple of others on here are truly works of genius. I Can't Do features an absorbing vocal sample of the phrase which appears both in the chorus', and through the verses when the MC's pause for it. This is just what I like real head nodding material, clear intelligent rapping and that something extra that makes it sublime. Seattle residents Funk Daddy ft. Willin's Makin Moves injects a dose of energy for their club ready kick drum driven description of how they get down. Virtually all the tracks on here need some form of commendation. Knowa Lazarus from Queens is another MC who being unknown to me needs this exposure. His classic semi whiny voice sits well with the minimal arrangement and sparse staccato drum pattern. Orchestral sweeps open up Divine MC's track So Beautilful and the other instruments do conjure the images suggested by the title. It is also a suitable backing for lyrics in which Divine expresses his love for his mum. It is refreshing to hear an MC touching on a topic that many would consider cissy. To me this shows more strength than someone who chooses to rap about gats and hoes, maybe it is the attitude of Daytona Beach showing through? Moving on, the closing stages of the CD are still strong. Storm The Unpredictable submits his jazz influenced Contradictions and Bill Yuns who I first came across on his mp3.com site a few years back links up with singer Mycle and gets to show people what he is capable of. His fully synth generated bumper has a feeling of the South about it although he hails from Ocean's home of Seattle. Although I'm conscious I wrote too much all ready the last four tracks from Black Ceasar, Nokturnal & Li Fee, Starchile and Skuntdunanna all need a mention. They are a mixed bag. Set Trip is a bit disappointing, but Seattle Holla is well up to par with its funky bass. Afta Party which features Bleek sounds fuller and better produced than the previous track, its piano riffs smoothly taking us through to the final track All I Got. Wanz touches down for a spot on this joint which rounds off the compilation with a relaxed RnB vibe. Ocean embraces an attitude of avant-garde business practices and product releases with an emphasis on design and quality. This one looks the part as well with a modern design cover in metallic blue featuring a busted boom box all designed an laid out by Steve O. To round up then, I can't really recommend this release enough. It has all the qualities those into Hip Hop demand and is solid throughout. When describing this release Steve Brown, CEO of Ocean Records based in Lakewood, WA said, "I guarantee that cats are going to enjoy this album - Ocean is going straight to the market with a strong campaign. We're not really focusing on radio, we're focusing on the streets". I think he is right so make sure you try to hear this. Related Links:
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INDE SESSIONS: VOL.1 - IN
STORES NOW! |
| Intro |
Early Doors: 1979-1985 |
False Dawn: 1985-1990 |
Underground Years: 1990-1995 |
The Renaissance: 1995- 2000 |
The Future: 2000 & Beyond |
Artists & Discographies |
