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The next release from the soon-to-be-mad-busy stable of Big Dada follows on and maintains that AntiCon-ish slant that exists within the wax that see's the light imprinted with the BD number. This LP's from a new crew - Gamma - who previously only had sporadic releases (a track on Disorda's Mind the Gap being one) ... well this time they've been given full rein to mash up your head n' trust me the've used the whole of this opportunity to the fullest. The crew are all longtime stalwarts of the uk hiphop scene through battles, workshops (e.g. running Ghetto Grammar), freelance mcing (e.g for NF4O), etc - this just seems like a new mode of connection for them all as a group of veteran heads. This Big Dada release titled "Permanament" straight follows the Mike Ladd LP on in a "progressive way" (thats an indy shmindy thing to say but I got a better word) - in that it is something out of the ordinary and thats not to say it aint printed from the straight pages of raps founding principles - cos it is. Its fundamentally about beats n' rhymes n' seems built around the principles of strength within a crew. That really does sum up the LP well - its a team record with a team feel and a posse sound - bewildering verses bouncing verbs off all the corners they can find. Lurching with speed between topics with a manic venomous pace - bare abstract minds just ciphering off lyrics like it's a keystyle. All bonded together with proper large chorus's with full TEAM participation n' finishing off each others lines. To me - I've not heard a record like it for a while - and like all new-ish sounding things it takes you aback a little n' makes you (really it makes you) take your time n' expose yourself to it easily and at a turtle taking first steps into the sea - you gotta be a little tentative cos you could get lost n' washed away by an overwhelming wave of sound. It does sound like a group of mates just getting things totally off their chests and have a proper good shout n' laugh... accompanied by the occasional chesty cough n' politicised grumble. From the production side - handled here by Ebu and Mr Mitchell - it has some good hefty chunky breaks and a slightly sci-fi slant to its beatdown.....I really liked the beats on the LP throughout - I thought they were exceptionally diverse and really creative whilst still connecting to the inner parts of your brain which dont give a fuck about creatvity. You know cos the test of an LP is whether it makes your head nod or feet tap (if your jazzy like!) - and at certain point it definitely does. Yeh I'm not gonna say I connected with the whole of this LP cos I never - that will be something that will come over many months of coming back to the wax on the irregular. Theres no doubting that when it does come together its a really powerful piece of music - there are moments when the MC's (Juice Aleem, Lord Redeem and Blacktitude) just completely gel together and then a bass rumble kicks and snare cracks and you just go BADDDD without even thinking about it. Those moments are priceless and did develop to exist within the whole LP for me.... I do wonder whether the harshness of the battlin delivery on some tracks might alienate certain listeners from taking the time to let the product mature upon them - but fuck it. In my eyes you cant front on certain tings - for example the production quality shown on "Black Atlantian", the verbals burning up "Factory", the sheer weight of "Dont Send a Bwoy" or the sleepy smoothness of "Drunken Dreams". To cut it to the bone - its an LP with UK sound without a doubt and comes with a big identity. Its also a long player in the complete sense - it goes walkies with your head cos it has the time to diversify and aims to show a complete face of sound rather than just a raised eyebrow or screwing eyeball. Its a hearty meal - but slightly stodgy for one sitting. In that I cant say it will be everyones ting cos it cant be cos its not a record that is setting out to impress everyone it not there to charm your bird, to impress your mum n' still pay for your dads pie n' chips down the boozer. In that way its a record for a discerning head with an open mind n' time to spare for an exploratory operation..... so thats the coup - have a butchers in the shop if you see it n' THEN see if you respect it. I do.  Related
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Gamma Permanament
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