High Contrast - High Society

Some pretty good drum and bass going on here, in that groovy liquid funk style. It has its great tracks (Racing Green, Twilight's Last Gleaming), and it's not-so-great tracks.

I'm not much a fan of vocal sampling in drum and bass, but I guess it works fairly well on this album.



Check out: the aforementioned songs

Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein

Hailing from Harlem, Vordul Mega and Vast Aire drop this tight hip-hop album. It's abstract, it's intelligent. Both MCs are amazing; they have great flow, and absolutely stellar lyrics. Their diction is Mega Vast, and they create some rather interesting, vivid imagery ("Yo it wasn't even like that / I wanted my cardiovascular to fight back" -- The F-Word). The topics covered on the album are pretty unconventional. Well, actually, not really. Relationships, poverty, New York life, self-superiority, etc. But they describe each topic with such incredible and creative lyricism ("You were a stillborn baby / your mother didn't want you but you were still born" -- Iron Galaxy). Sometimes, I felt that some of the lyrics made no sense, but it took me multiple listens through this album to see what was going on. This is abstract material.

El-P's beats are really cool. They're relatively slow, atmospheric, hazy, and thick. He throws in some bizarre samples, some that sound like 8-bit audio pieces.

It does have a running time of around an hour and 15 minutes, but that's not so much of a problem for me since the lyrics are truly captivating.

Ill shit. Check it.



Listen to: Iron Galaxy, Raspberry Fields, Vein, The F-Word, Painkillers, Pigeon

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to heaven!

Welcome to post-rock, where there are millions of bands who sound like each other.

Except for a few. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is one of those few.

lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to heaven! is without a doubt one of the most innovative post-rock releases of our time. If you've ever come across this band and were intrigued by the song lengths... well then. Each long song is divided into smaller movements, making parts a little more distinguishable. The movements are usually triumphant post-rock compositions (with epic build-ups), ambient pieces, and sometimes even silence. Sounds like it wouldn't work out, but to me, the mix is perfectly fine and the album flows well.

My favourite song (yes, song. that includes every containing movement) here is definitely "Sleep". What I love about this band is that the violin/cello/whatever bow instruments they use add so much to the music. The second movement of "Sleep", "Monheim", is an hauntingly beautiful post-rock piece. The build-up of reverberating guitars and drums leads up to an explosion of emotion, which is almost a march-like piece with an effects-heavy guitar melody. The movement dies down into a subtle and quiet guitar interlude, until it begins it's build-up into the third movement of the track, "Broken Windows, Locks of Love pt. III". This movement is the absolute highlight of the album for me. It's sublieme, and it just leaks and drips emotion. As stated, the bowed string instruments contribute so much to the music, and in this particular movement, the violin melody (mixed with guitar harmonies) is absolutely stunning.

Enough fellatio towards one song (lolol)... the other masterpieces on this album contain brilliant movements to them as well. The atmospheres throughout the album are wonderfully grandiose. There are a lot of emotions evoked through listening to this. I guess I won't explain them all that much though... just buy the album and see for yourself the magic held within this record.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Whoa wait, so I haven't reviewed this yet?

... >_>

Well it's an obvious classic, if you had not known that already. When this album was dropped in stores, it was probably the most original and fresh hip-hop album of its time. There are so many new ideas presented here. Where to start?

The lyrics are absolutely insane. In many ways. They're hardcore, raw, vulgar, violent, really friggin' creative, aggressive, innovative, etc. By first impression, you might think that nine members would be hard to listen to. But hell naw. Surprisingly, each member of the Wu is distinct from one another. Ghostface Killah has got the loud and high-pitch voice, GZA has some superb lyrical skills, Inspectah Deck has a sick flow, Ol' Dirty Bastard's voice is totally wild, etc. Each MC brings the energy on his turn.

And now for the beats. They rule. Even to this day, they are still unlike anything I've ever heard. RZA really knows what the fuck he's doing. Each beat carries a really intense atmosphere. Some are dark as hell, some are chilled out, some are hard-hitting. The sampling here is genius, and really appealing to me -- piano samples, horn samples, organ samples... RZA's got it all.

This review might be a little incoherent, but that's only because there are oh so many good things to say about this album that I lose track of my thoughts. hah


Listen to: every song!!!!!1111

Luomo - Vocalcity

So this is pretty much my first house album.

And goddamn did I ever get off to an awesome start.

Luomo, aka Vladislav Delay, aka Uusitalo, aka Sasu Ripatti, creates some absolutely groovy (well I could expect that all house music is this way, lol) microhouse/minimal techno. The atmospheres produced are so encompassing that you... well, I, just want to immerse myself in these lengthy tracks. Yes, they're lengthy, and they become that way from the minimalism. Blah blah, yeah, minimalism = repetition, but when it's done right, the outcome is fantastic.

The first track, "Market", begins right away with with the pulsating bass drum (common in house music), synth chords, and synth bass. The short-played synthesizer chords were what caught my attention the most. Heavily syncopated and played with a really catchy and bouncy rhythm. As the track progresses, clicks and cuts are layered, as well as vocal loops. Vocalcity indeed? Yeah.

Synkro has got to be my favourite track on the album. The bass is so damn bitchin', and the vocals just get implanted into your mind. "... because you move/ ... the way you move".

The album closes off with a slower-paced and less intense "She-Center", but it still carries the mood and atmosphere of the preceding tracks.

It got me hooked real fast. I could imagine that this album would be perfect for dance/chillout purposes. Highly recommended.


Listen to:
- Synkro
- Market
- Class

Converge - Jane Doe

So how the fuck did I not like this before?

I am currently listening to Jane Doe for my third time I believe. The first and second times were not good experiences (lol, stupid me). After those two listens, desperately trying to enjoy the album, I just put this album down, thinking it was pretty shitty.

And now, about a year later, this fuckin' dominates. This is hardcore/mathcore/metalcore/... music, done right.

Chaotic, dissonant, cacophonous, wild, yet coherent... from the heavy-as-fuck tracks to the tracks with clean parts, every song is just dripping with raw intensity and emotion. Jane Doe ends off perfectly with a slow and epic title track.

An otherworldly ride through hell. I really do not see anything wrong with this album.



Listen to: everything.

Boris - Heavy Rocks

Heavy, intense, fuzzy, rockin' stoner metal album. I like Boris because whatever genre they attempt, the outcome is, at the least, decent.

Heavy Rocks starts off slow and droney with "Heavy Friends", a perfect introduction to the album. Right away, you will be grasped by the production -- raw, noisy, and damn bass-heavy. The riff will destroy you by its extreme weight, and the vocals towards the end are a great way to end the track. Stoner bliss. Beginning the second track, "Korosu", is where the tempo gets boosted. From here on, it's fast-paced stoner fun.

Although there are some not-so-interesting tracks, I truly admire the attitude of this album.

tip: I listened to this at a low volume one time. That sucked. \m/


Listen to:
- Korosu
- ワレルライド (Wareruride)
- Rattlesnake

Boxcutter - Oneiric

Fuck man, I love dubstep. Kind of an outlandish statement since I only really listen to Boxcutter and Burial.

Anyways, Boxcutter puts out some great shit here on Oneiric. In comparison to Burial's material, Oneiric has more intense music, characterized by the uses of synth. Also, Boxcutter takes a more IDM and drill 'n' bass approach to dubstep, resulting in some interesting experimentation.

While I still need more listens through this album, I must say that "Skuff'd" and "Brood" are incredibly heavy, and the synth melodies/loops are friggin' catchy.


Check out the aforementioned songs, as well as "Sunshine V.I.P." and "Silver Birch Solstice".

Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele

Meh. It's sorta long, and after being exposed to GZA and Inspectah Deck (lyrical masters), this album just really isn't that great. Especially the lyrics.

The beats are good though.

Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By

Fantastic electronic chillout stuff. The synth/melody work is really effective (aka chillll). The beats are sick -- in the style of trip-hop/hip-hop.

Just sit back and relax to this music.


Look out for: ... well... every track is awesome.

The Cinematic Orchestra - Les ailes pourpres (Crimson Wing) OST

note: I am a TCO fanboy.

I haven't seen the film, but I could imagine that The Cinematic Orchestra's music is completely fitting to it. With feelings and emotions ranging from tranquil to dramatic, this is some of TCO's best work. Dare I say it (even if it makes me look really stupid), but the orchestral arrangements here are really cinematic (lololololololol). "Dance" is a really cool track, set in a 5/4 time signature, making it Mission Impossible-esque. The OST closes off with a nice vocal track.


Check out (if you can):
- Transformation
- Dance
- Exodus
- Hatching

Common - Electric Circus

... I didn't like this. Execpt "Come Close". I can't help but think that Common really set a high standard for himself with Resurrection and Like Water For Chocolate.

Fela Kuti - Expensive Shit/He Miss Road

Incredible afrobeat music. It just makes you wanna dance.

The first couple of seconds (the fucking sweetest funky guitar riff) got me hooked, and the rest of it was really consistent and jazzy and I couldn't stop listening. Given the length of the songs (11 minutes on average) and all the wonderful saxophone parts, the melodies stick with you for a long time.

Speaking of "shit", I had trouble taking one because at the time all I could think of was the music from this album. Really.

Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music I

Wow, this was one hell of a musical experience. Two lengthy songs à la electronic/glitch/modern classical/post-rock. Damn. Violins, violas, drums, and piano throughout, chopped up by glitchy clicks and cuts. The drum programming is pretty cool here; some drum parts on the songs are borderline drill 'n' bass.

Despite the length, the album flows very nicely.

Epic, beautiful stuff.

Air - The Virgin Suicides

I really like the style (chill pop) and the production, but only a couple of songs here grab my attention (Highschool Lover, Playground Love, Suicide Underground).

The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

I love these guys. This album is pure entertainment, much of it through comedy. Take "Oh Shit" (lol) for example. The Pharcyde have serious balls to recount the(ir?) most embarrassing stories. True or not, they are fucking hilarious. "Ya Mama" is also a hot track, in which all four members diss each other's moms. Honestly, how much more entertaining can that be? I was laughing through the whole song. On the contrary, "On the DL" is about some of the deepest feelings and stories that generally wouldn't want to be shared with others (hence, keep it On the DL).

The beats are great -- they're brushed with numerous jazz samples that give it the old-school vibe. Oh yeah, the skits are funny and are quite fitting.

All in all, I love this.


Listen to: Ya Mama, Oh Shit, On the DL

Mobb Deep - The Infamous

Hip-hop at its rawest. Havoc and Prodigy really tear it up here, descriptively narrating about life in the hood. The beats are terrific -- cold and dark. The only thing that brings this album down a bit are the useless preludes, which come in a lengthy form. They don't really affect the album all that much though.

If you're a fan of the east coast hip-hop sound, check this shit.


Listen to:
- Shook Ones pt. II
- Survival of the Fittest
- Cradle to the Grave

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

Raekwon the chef. Cookin' that meth all the time. And coke. Can't be too good for him.

Here we have Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., one of those critically acclaimed Wu-Tang solo releases. Nuh uh, not in my opinion. It's overrated. Raekwon's lyrics are alright, but not as good as I expected (having listened to 36 Chambers). Honestly, the guest Wu-Tang members on this album have better verses than the Chef (Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, & GZA). The guests save this album. Really.

The beats are great. I don't see how they're "cinematic" though, as I've read in some reviews. RZA really knows what he's doing.

Oh yeah, and this album is long. Really long. Unnecessarily long. Do not want.

After listening to this album, I can safely say that Raekwon is not my favourite Wu-Tang member.


Listen to:
- Guillotine (Swordz)
- Verbal Intercourse

Portishead - Dummy

Definitive trip-hop. This is easily one of my all-time favourite albums. Some of the atmospheres created are incredibly dark and scary. Beth Gibbons' vocals are so fucking frightening. Although sometimes a little more laid back. But her voice is truly amazing, and it adds a hell lot to this masterpiece. The production is thick and quite bass-heavy. Hell yeah. The bass lines, sampling, and the general instrumentation is really catchy too. And of course, this is all placed over the seriously awesome beats. They're slow and trippy (hah).



Listen to: well... goddamn, I can't even choose. I like every track a hell lot, except It Could Be Sweet. Hm... the tracks I listen to the most are:
- Sour Times
- Strangers
- Pedestal (fuck yeah trumpet solo)
- Glory Box

Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda

This is one fucking sweet hip-hop release. Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po are pretty much lyrical geniuses. Pharoahe has a sick flow too. Really jazzy beats, which (as you may know lololol) I really dig.


Check out:
- Bring It On
- The Extinction Agenda