The Four Owls seem to be on fire at the moment. The gang have recently dropped their new album Natural Order that has hit the number one spot of hip hop sections on multiple download sites and features Think Twice, produced by legendary Hip Hop producer DJ Premier. If that wasn't enough the Owls are back again with fresh material featured on five SBTV videos that recently dropped. Fliptix, Leaf Dog, BVA and Verb T all get the chance to shine in a solo video and the special series of videos is rounded off with a performance from the group together as the Owls. Check the fire bellow.
Verb T Skooled By Bars
BVA Still Slippin Live Performance
Fliptrix Skooled By Bars 2015
Leaf Dog Skooled By Bars
We are also fast approaching the High Focus 5th birthday party. The Fourth Birthday was easily the best gig I attended in 2014 so I have high expectations this year and looking at the line up, it will be hard for them not to deliver. For those of you that registered for early tickets you now have the chance to grab your tickets before they are released to the general public on the 3rd of March. It looks like full line up includes the whole High Focus rosta and many more UKHH artists including a personal favourite of mine, The Mouse Outfit with Dr Syntax and Sparx. Room 2 also looks to be providing something special with a Garage DJ set from Dirty Dike and an RNB DJ set from Scissortongue among other acts, you can tell this gig will be a night to remember. Early Bird Tickets have already sold out so make sure you grab tickets quick to avoid disappointment. This is not to be missed.
This is the one we have all been waiting for. Ever since "Natures Greatest Mystery" The Owls have had massive success both as a unit and as solo artists. Over the past three years that followed the last album the group have been dropping solo projects and touring the world helping to raise the profile of the ever evolving High Focus record label and the whole UK Hip Hop movement. During the many live shows they have been doing over the last few years we have been teased with new music and the promise of a new album, the wait is now over and The Four Owls have gone all out on this one. "Natural Order" is set to make another massive impact for The Owls and with the quality of the the content through out, rightly so.
After an impressive debuet album the pressure is on to back it up with something special and they mange to do that in style. Not only is this easily their best work to date but they managed to secure America's king of hip hop production Dj Premier to produce "Think Twice", the second single to be released ahead of the album. This is special with in its own right for so many reason and shows us how far they have come and elevated their game. UK Hip Hop has had a big resurgence over the past 3 Years and it is no coincidence that "Natures Greatest Mystery" dropped around the same time so we are excited to see what happens now. They have helped create the buzz around UKHH and now it seems to be the perfect time to drop some thing new and blow all of our minds again. A task they seem to execute to perfection not only with the lyrical content but with the beats too. Here are our first impressions.
The album opens up with Rice Torture and after a brief guitar and organ riff we are reintroduced to the kind of presence only The Owls can bring. Leaf Dog brings the bars first, followed quickly by BVA. The beat is centred around organ and brass samples with that phat production sound that has made Leaf Dogs style so distinctive and loved all around the world. Fliptrix takes the next bars leaving Verb T to play us out. If this track is anything to judge the rest of the album by, the next fifteen tracks will be a breeze to review.
We don't need to say much about this tune, as we're sure you've already got a copy of it. If not, we've provided the official video to 'Silent Flight' above and a link to the iTunes download of the EP that includes 'Old Earth' and instrumentals for both. The trippy visuals feature the the Owls in their true form as animator EZPZ manages to capture the personas of each emcee. Next it's 'Feels Great' and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Uplifting and full of that summer time vibe that everyone craves. This tune heavily promotes positivity and good living through the simple things in life and highlights how grateful the Owls are for all their fans support.
The second single to be released from this LP is 'Think Twice' featuring the legendary producer from the US, DJ Premier. We have already put up a post about this release but feel we need to reiterate how insanely huge this colab is. DJ Premier is known worldwide as one of the best beat makers associated with hip hop having worked with an impressive array of artists over the years but is most renowned for his work with Guru under the name Gangstar. The Owls have presented us with one of the best UK/US crossovers we have have ever heard and this is sure to bring them even more worldwide recognition. You can pre order a limited edition 12" of the single including a remix from Leaf Dog, another track from the album, instrumentals for all three tracks and an acapella of 'Think Twice'. This, of course comes highly recommended. As expected the Owls fully hang with Premier on this one and it is easily a stand out track on the album.
Not to be outdone by the gravitas of the previous banger, Leaf Dog follows it up perfectly with 'Pay The Price', a beat so nod worthy it is sure to send a few brares to hospital with whiplash. You can literally feel every pluck of the jazzy bass line and Leaf demonstrates excellent sample work with cleverly placed piano and vocal chants.
"If your getting to big for your boots, then you pay the price.
Never man up and wanna tell the truth, then you pay the price.
Always coming up with an excuse, then you pay the price.
You pay the price. Then you pay the price."
Everything so far has banged and this next one doesn't let up. Smooth bass and trumpets are swallowed up by the Owls on 'Defiant'. In the hook the owls go into detail about being resilient in the face of adversity and how they are constantly evolving as artists. The verses back this up and give us an insight into the owls growing up and the roads they took that helped lead them to where they are now. Next we have "Control" and the beat has a mellow vibe giving the album more depth when it comes to the moods of the tracks and this is awesome. Leaf Dog reminds us why it's important not to become complacent in your style, to continue to give the fans more variety resulting in a more dynamic arrangement of beats. The Owls take a slightly more relaxed approach to their delivery on this one matching the beat perfectly and this is finished off with a sick hook. Another banger in the bag. The Four Elements snaps us out of the mellow mood provided from the last song with a stomper that bursts straight into life accompanied by Leaf Dog on the first verse. Using story telling as their weapon of choice each Owls take on the form of one of the four elements.
'Dawn Of A New Day' is the first song on the release to feature a guest MC. Smellington Piff (The Vulture) joins the gang on this one showing us why he is signed to RLD Records and the respect that he and the Owls have for each other. Verb T opens up the track with his signature laid back style alluding to his personal opinion on what it is to sell out, followed by Fliptrix who immediately demands your attention with the words, "Many man are up in the manor, Chatting bollocks, acting like they cop the product, but they never open their wallet." Leaf Dog is up next utilizing clever wordplay from the get go; "We're here to help the movement like muscle therapy, with more stoneheads than an old cemetery". BVA comes in next with a sharp, veracious deliverance explaining why the Owls are at the top of their game and how he believes they cannot be touched on the scene right now (which we totally agree with). This is all wrapped up nicely with tight bars dropped by the guest emcee Smellington Piff who closes the track with a perfect quote "...When they're dead and gone ain't nobody gonna remember them. When we're dead and buried the music will resurrect us.... The early bird will get the worm, Fours Owls and the vulture watch the tables turn." A great track to showcase the first guest feature emcee.
When you read the words "Featuring Dirty Dike", you know there is a good chance that the track will be A - a banger and B- probably going to be a lot harder than the tracks that proceeded it. All boxes are ticked in "Assassination". The beat matches the aggy vibe of the track and all five emcees fully smash it. Instead of going into to much detail and spoil it for you, we thought we would give you each emcees opening bar to wet your appetite, and no more. Just trust us, this track is fully sick!
"Step inside the building and I'm walking like a killer,
Looking for the others thinking that no one is iller ,
Wrapping up the bodies then I lock them in the chiller,
Falling like Frazier when he lost it in manila."
Verb T
"So sharp I cut silk in the river leave your head gone before you see a shadowy figure."
Leaf Dog
"Slay with tongue, not the type to wave a gun, hit your pressure points walk away calm don't run."
BVA
"I'm killing slappers kids animals and rappers,
Casual as a bag of balls slapping off your sagpus."
Dirty Dike
"I assassinate lacerate and decapitate, hack you up with raggo rage wrap you up in some gaffa tape"
Fliptix.
Assassinate really does step it up and everyone performs to the highest level. This is seriously good. We also wanted to say that Fliprix displays so much skill in his delivery throughout this one and switching the pace at the end, making it sound easy. As the track finishes we jump into the organ intro for "Ain't like that" which switches the beat up instantly giving a more funky and feel good effect to the song. In this one we take a trip down memory lane with the owls as we hear how things used to be. Loving the beat and feel on this one, a great example of the sound we have come accustomed to and love, when the Owls make music together.
After an ambient intro the beat drops straight in with 'The Drama', a jazz infused guitar/keys riff and swung out drums with a hook that perfectly sums up the theme of this track. Drama is going to happen no matter what, how we chose to deal with it is ultimately what shapes us. Each Owl gives us an example of how they chose to handle situations that they have faced, and may have deterred them from moving onwards if handled differently. 'Open Book' is the third and final track to feature a guest emcee and who else to help wrap up the second half of an already banging album than Jam Baxter. After the release of his last album "... So We Ate Them Whole", its a welcoming surprise to hear more of him and the synergy created between both the Owls and Baxter. 'Open Book' has a lovely twangy guitar sample completed with ethereal vocal harmonies that give the track a great soulful vibe and give us yet another example of how much variety the Owls have to offer.The intensity is ramped up with the next track 'Judgement', it opens with a thick violin section bringing in a heavy melody guaranteed to get you up and skankin' across your kitchen (or where ever it is you hear this.) With lyrics describing their views on the divides within societies and the cause and effect of being judged on the things you wear, music you listen to etc, the Owls bring us a vivid portrait of something we have either witnessed first hand ourselves, or at the very least can relate to.
Old Earth was featured as a B-side of the first single to be release and if you've already purchased this, then you'll know that it features the instrumental for both tracks. We have provided a link with 'Silent Flight' towards the beginning of this album review for the iTunes download of the EP and you can check the video above. The Owls manage to close this epic release with a track so very different from everything we've heard up to this point. The versatility hasn't let up for a single moment and this last track 'Motivation' poses to ask you a question; what motivates us? Whether we do it for the right or wrong reasons, they praise those dedicated to their craft. A nice chilled one to end on a release that raises the bar exponentially.
It really is an exciting time to be a fan of UKHH and these guys have been at the forefront of the movement for the last few years. The year has barely started and already we are presented with something that is sure to top all of the "best of 2015" lists for UKHH. This album fully backs up all the hype and will not disappoint if like us you have been eagerly awaiting this one. Everyone has stepped it up on the album, every thing is perfectly balanced when it comes to the tracks and we are expecting this to be a big hit. You can catch the second leg of the Natural Order album tour as soon as they announce more dates and we highly recommend seeing them live. The shows are always highly energetic and the group are just as good on stage as they are in the studio. We don't need to tell you how much you need this in your collection, the last two singles speak volumes and should be enough to tempt you into a pre order. If not, there is something very, very wrong with you.
The Four Owls have been taking over the UKHH scene for sometime. Since Natures Greatest Mystery the Owls have been on a roller coaster ride with the ever expanding High Focus Records and also finding success with solo albums. Between that and touring the country they have managed to put the work in for new album 'Natural Order', due to drop February 2015. On the album they have teamed up with USA's finest Hip Hop producer and living legend DJ Premier, giving us the greatest UK/USA hip hop team up we have ever seen. Primo needs no introduction to any true follower of Hip Hop. He is easily the best that America has to offer and has been making beats for years now and is widely known for his work as one half of the legendary Hip Hop group 'Gangstar". DJ Premier's production skills are notorious world wide and he has exclusively produced 'Think Twice' for the new Four Owls album. The single is out now and you can grab it and the instrumental from the link bellow. There is also a link to pre-order a limited edition 12inch that includes 'Think Twice', a Leaf Dog Remix of the single, another track from the up coming album, instrumentals for all three tracks and an acapella of the title track. This comes highly recommended for all you hip hop fans and vinyl junkies. We don't have to tell you how big this is, just look at who is involved. The track opens up with a short introduction from the king of hip hop production then drops into his instantly recognizable 'Primo' style beat complete with cutz. Leaf Dog, Fliptrix, BVA and Verb T all give this absolute banger the justice it deserves with amazing bars and delivery.
This is a testament to how far the Owls have come and proof that they are among the few who are able to carry the torch across seas, showing the rest of the world what the UK is capable of. All rappers should aspire to one day be fortunate enough to work with DJ Premier, this is now a reality for The Four Owls and us their loyal fans. Get the download and pre-order now.
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.
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.
The legendary DJ Q Bert has dropped an exclusive mix for Mass Appeal that you can listen to and down load from the link bellow. Jellyfish Lazer Face is a bass heavy mix from the king of scratch featuring Dubstep, Trap and a couple of exclusives from his upcoming release, Extramentals Vol 1. As expected, like all of Q Berts mixes you don't want to sleep on this one. Grab it from the link bellow.
Peterborough based producer Klimeks is kicking off the new year with the Nightglide EP, available for free down load from the link above. The four track masterpiece showcases how Klimeks has perfected his signature WAVEY style over the past few years and is a great new edition to his back catalogue of free EP's. It is also worth checking out his flawless 2014 remix of Born In The Cold by Wiley. Big up Klimeks, keep those bangers coming.
All the details for the compettion and full prize list are on the flyer above. This is a great opportunity to get your self noticed as a producer. The track is taken from his album Notice of Eviction released on RLD Records, you can buy the album and download the accapella from the RLD website.
Before you start, I am fully aware that these have been up for years, but I thought they were worth mentioning while we are on the subject of RLD. Leaf Dog is the UK's hottest Hip Hop producer right now. His amazing ability to dissect samples and re arrange them into instant classics is now getting him noticed over in the USA and has cemented him as top dog when it comes to beats in the UK. With a new Four Owls album dropping early 2015 we thought these might keep you going until then. Grab Lost Leafs from the link bellow.
After the recent taste of new Four Ours material featured on the 2014 Fliptrix LP 'Polyhymnia', we have been craving more and luckily didn't have to wait long. Silent Flight is out now and is the first track to be released from the upcoming album Natural Order. Check out the video below.
Great visuals from Ezpz and as expected, the Owls delivered the goods. The beat is immediately recognizable as a Leaf Dog production, which is definitely a good thing and the guys manage to re-spark the unremitting argument within my own mind and between friends as to which of the Owls is the best emcee. The answer seems to depend on who we're listening to at that moment in time. The single comes with an exclusive B side 'Old Earth' and instrumentals for both. Grab it from the link below.
First off, Happy New Year. 2015 will see a couple of new bloggers joining our team and we look forward to working with them shortly. In 2014 we had some great UK Hip Hop drop from the High Focus team and others and it looks like this year will be heading in the same direction. The UKHH scene seems to be at an all time high and with a Four Owls album promised for early in the year I think it is safe to say, I am excited!
It's a new year and already we have a new member of the ever expanding High Focus rosta. Onoe Capone makes his debut in style with a visual impressive video directed by Taztron Delix and Onoe himself accompanied by another banging beat from Chemo. This is how you showcase your new talent. Space Bitches is available now from the link bellow and is the first track to drop from his upcoming release on High Focus Records Voices FromPlanet Cattle.
Next we have Gorilla Growers taken from the debut Smellington Piff album Notice of Eviction, available now on R.L.D Records. This track features Leaf Dog who also produced the beat, BVA and Son Doobie of Funkdoobiest. You can find all the other videos from the album and details of a remix competition at the R.L.D website. You can also buy the album from the website.
Body Gold is the second video to drop from Born Lupers EP by The Mouse Outfit & Mattic. The Ep wasreleased on December 30th and is available from the Bandcamp link bellow. A great way to wet your appetite for the rumored 2015 Mouse Outfit album.
This one is for the Grime heads, Fully Fledged VIP By Problem Child. This banger features Dabbla, Buggsy, Illaman, DRS, Rawkid, Dubbledge, Onoe Caponoe, Marger, Lunar C, Foreign Beggars & Black Josh. WOW. You can pre-order the track on vinyl from the link bellow including the instrumental on the B side.
Reflections is easily my favorite UKHH track of 2014. It is taken from Polyhymnia by Fliptrix and features all off the Four Owls in action. The laid back beat was produced by Chemo and is a perfect example of why The Owls are at the top of the UKHH game right now. If you don't have the album check out our full review and buy it.
