When I first listened to 'Voices From Planet Cattele', I had already heard 'Space Bitches', the first video to drop ahead of the release so I thought I knew what to expect from the album. Man was I wrong. I kind of want to tell you to stop reading this review now so it doesn't spoil the experience of listening to this psychedelic Hip Hop journey for you. Onoe Capone, a London based MC has teamed up with Chemo to bring you the mind and genre bending work of art "Voices From Planet Cattele". Both Onoe and Chemo seem to take a completely different approach to each track making every song unique with it's own style and sound. Throughout the album you will pick up on many influences of different music styles, every thing from Dub and Psychedelic Rock right the way through to classic and modern Hip Hop. I don't want to be cliché and call this album experimental, I would rather describe it as a musical statement by two artists that have been working on and perfecting their craft for some time. The result is something you don't want to miss.
The album opens up with a short intro and then drops straight into 'Space Bitches', the first single from the album and the first track to get an official video. It starts with an amazing creepy piano hook and some slick drums complemented by a big bass that drops as Onoe starts his first verse. Brilliant track to kick off this release.The track is backed up by a video with an equally dark vibe directed by Taztron and Onoe Caponoe. You can grab the single including the highly recommended instrumental from the link bellow.
Space Bitches iTunes
Space Bitches
As stated earlier, having heard 'Space Bitches' before receiving the album I thought I knew what to expect from the full release. 'Lord Of The Light (Sun Riddim)' is where that thought went right out the window and stayed there. Here we have the first of many very different Hip Hop tracks from Onoe and Chemo, both artists fully pushing the boundaries of Hip Hop production and Emceeing. This down tempo track is completely different from the track that proceeded it but yet it fits perfectly with the rest of the album. Lots of electronic and eerie sounds throughout the beat help give the track a more chilled vibe and Onoe backs this up with great use of breaks in his bars giving the beat time to breath and completing the ambient vibe of 'Lord Of Light'.
'Moon - Galactico' is something I feel is missing from a lot of UKHH right now. It's is predominantly an instrumental only featuring Caponoe briefly throughout the track (with some cool voice effects) giving Chemo a chance to shine with this up tempo tribal sounding beat with well placed samples and guitar chords. Hip Hop albums always used to feature something like this, a little beat interlude or scratch skit from the producer, a nice nod of recognition to the guy making the beats.
Disappearing Jakob has a nice chilled beat interlude at the start and then kicks into a piano loop and vinyl crackle reminding me of that old dub sound. This is soon backed up by a crisp beat with bass and Onoe kicks off with the hook... "I wanna smoke with you" He then hits the verse with a laid back pace showing us how versatile he is and how he can adapt to any style of beat or rhythm. Space Jungles of Cattele is next and you guessed it, another different style of beat and Emceeing. It really is refreshing to listen to an album that keeps you on your toes, not knowing what to expect when the next track starts. This one starts with a vocal sample and then drops into a track that fully throws you deep into the trippy psychedelic theme of the album. Strange sci fi sounds and a guitar loop are accompanied by Caponoe's bars that go up and down in pitch throughout. Not to be listened to on a come down or under the influence of mind altering narcotics.
'Goth Bitches (The Serenade)' is the only track on the album to feature a guest MC and lets be honest, who better to feature on your debut album than Jehst. Chemo gives the beat a nice horror twist that is matched by the intensity and ferocity of the hook and lyrics from both Emcees. "A hundred Goth
bitches dancing on my stone table while I light a fucking hundred candles to my own fable". Having Jehst feature on the track is just the icing on the cake and solidifies this as a stand out track on the album. 'Peace To The Godz' is up next with another short, trippy yet jazzy interlude that quickly breaks off into down tempo hip hop, big bass and snare with Onoe showcasing another impressive way to deliver his bars. Great use of samples late on in the track.
Tricked into a false sense of security from the ambiance of the last track Chemo and Caponoe turn things on their head again with 'Horse In The Hill', a track sure to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as soon as the bass hits you in the face snapping you out of the dream like state caused by 'Peace To The Godz'. Back this up with Onoe's unique ability to switch up his flow at the drop of a hat and you have another instant classic. 'Under The Bridge' is a short interlude with a beat designed to leave you thirsty for more and Capone does the banger justice with his lyrics, once again using pitch adjustments on his voice to give the track a different feel. The album closes with 'Paint Your Body Gold', a track that sounds like classic hip hop from the likes of A Tribe Called Quest and J Live. The beat and bars are perfectly balanced with each other and seems to bring the album full circle with the raw hip hop sound of the first track. Another favourite for us at Locality reviews.
This album really is a work of art. Both Emcee and Producer have done their best to express themselves with music not made for the commercial masses, but a true statement of what they are all about. The release doesn't just break the mould of a conventional UKHH album, it re shapes it into lots of different variations of Hip Hop. I love this approach to making music and have been honestly surprised with how different this album is, and how well that has worked. It's always good to see Chemo dropping new beats for the High Focus crew and it is equally good to see this new pairing with Onoe Caponoe. Both artists fully smashed it with this one and have set the standard early in 2015 for UK Hip Hop. I wanted to include the biography that High Focus sent out with the album and press release because I fell it does a great job of summing up Caponoe and what to expect from the release. And if that is not enough to convince you to pre order now, I have also included some exclusive bars from Onoe. Check it all out bellow and pre order this banger now!
Biography.
Onoe Caponoe, the Lord Catpissdelic myth is a earthly being possessed by the ghost of Jim Willow the Wizard.
A Funkadelic sperm from the sexual organs of the 169 world Onoe Caponoe uses alien technology
to record vocal crystals telepathically transmitted by his thoughts.
Dwelling in a underground cellar some where in London, Onoe Caponoe joins forces with producer
extraordinaire Chemo over the span many suns and moons to bring the tales, thought processes,
feelings and sounds of the until now unheard of alternative dimensional planet knows as Planet
Cattele.
HF TV Onoe Caponoe exclusive Jellyfish Gurl Bars
Vinyl Pre-order
CD Pre-oreder
Reviewed by Double S
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