It's hard to believe that only four years have passed since the birth of one of the fastest growing record labels in UK Hip Hop history. The past four years have seen the ever expanding crew release a variety of critically acclaimed albums and EP's and has also seen them find success outside of the UK including tours and festival appearances. This Friday (16th of May) the High Focus Records crew are celebrating their fourth birthday and they are doing it in style. The monster event will include live performances from all the High Focus gang and some very special guests. Artists on the night will include.....
As you can see this is set to be a massive event featuring Hip Hop artists from the past, present and future. The line up alone is evidence of the hard work that has gone into the record label and the high level of respect they have earned from some of the biggest UKHH stars of all time. The event will run from 10pm until 6am at Electric Brixton, a venue with a much bigger capacity and sound system than previous Birthday Party events. Tickets are available for only £12 from the link below. Unfortunately all of the early bird tickets have sold out so get your advance tickets while you still can!
On Valentines Day 2014, De La Soul shocked the world by giving away their entire back catalogue of music for FREE! Now once again they are showing us love by throwing more free music our way. The 11 track mixtape, named 'Smell The DA.I.S.Y. (Da Inner Soul of Yancy)', features classic De La vocals over unreleased J.Dilla production. Dilla, also known as Jay Dee passed away in 2006 and has been quoted by many as one of the most influential Hip Hop artists of all time. In April, 100 copies of Smell The DA.I.S.Y. instrumentals will be released on vinyl and they will be hidden in record stores across the US, UK and Canada. De La Soul are currently doing a 25th anniversary tour for 3 Feet High and Rising. You can find details for the tour, the Smell The D.A.I.S.Y. download link and clues to the whereabouts of the instrumental vinyl from the link below.
In 2013, the UK Hip Hop scene was completely dominated by the High Focus crew. Among many great releases, Verb T dropped I Remain, a 15 track album produced by himself showcasing his solid lyrical ability and production skills. Now he is back with a brand new remix album titled 'Reverb' available for free on Bandcamp. The 10 tracks are mostly taken from 'I Remain' and are remixed by Leaf Dog, Jehst, Ghosttown, Urban Click, Konchis and BMRN. It also contains a couple of tracks not featured on the original album and is definitely worth a download.
Jurassic 5 are a group that need no introduction to Hip Hop fans. With the full group now back together they are currently touring the world, making a new studio album, a live album and a DVD documentary whilst all working on solo projects. Marc 7 was the first to release his highly anticipated debut solo album ' Food, Clothing & Shelter' under his own label Marc7Music, LLC. The album is available to stream and download on Soundcloud. This truly is exciting times for fans of Jurassic 5.
For those that don't know, Spoze first made a name for himself as a DnB Mc. His thirst for music then progressed to Grime working with his Roadworks team, a local grime collective, all hailing from Peterborough. Troubled Mind is his latest solo project produced by local legend Klimeks. Expect hard hitting lyrics and wavey beats. Below is a link to the download and the official video for Ham Sandwich taken from the release.
After recently featuring on Blizzards Testing the Water EP and working alongside many local Mcs, Klimeks refuses to stay quiet and gives us another freebie. Depths is a 4 track EP and is further testament to the development of his style. Underwaterhearts is a personal favourite but doesn't overshadow the other 3 tracks. His now signature WAVEY style is loved by many and we'll look forward to hearing more from him soon.
Not long after the wrestling legend passed away, Xidus Pain dropped The Ultimate Warrior mixtape on Rhymepad records. Xidus had been working on the project before the tragic death of one of his childhood heroes. His lyrical delivery and content is as always flawless and is accompanied by tight production from Chris IPOP, KnoWon, Ducka, Barry Blaq and Dj Kriptonite.
Instant has been a massive player in the Peterborough DnB scene for many years now. He went on from winning the Cafe En Seine DJKO in his younger days, to becoming one of the co founders of the infamous Hijack and Strictly Soulful nights. Instant continues to be a personal favourite when it comes to his liquid Drum and Bass style on production and in his Dj sets. He has given away a few free tracks in recent history including this gem 'Funk it Up', given away as an Easter gift. The track is an absolute banger and stays true to his liquid roots.
Edward Scissortongue is quickly rising through the UKHH ranks, bringing his unique blend of oddball behaviour and visceral, fantastical story telling to the masses and after critically acclaimed success for his 2012 debut "BETTER.LUCK.NEXT.LIFE", he returns with a story driven EP which is set to make its mark on the scene in a big way. High Focus is extremely reputable for its ever expanding, yet massively impressive label and this EP has been highly anticipated since it was first mentioned to us back at Boom Bap festival in 2013, where we were lucky enough to catch up with him in the early hours of the morning. Even back then, he knew this would be a proud achievement quoting it as his best work to date. After a couple of listens it's obvious to see the high level of hard work that has gone into the EP.
The Theremin EP is a 7 track conceptual epic featuring massive sci-fi sound scapes and a dark, man-vs-machines themed narrative that grips the listener as it guides you through a twisted, thought provoking vision of an apocalyptic future. The intro begins with big sweeping pads and a haunting melody, building slowly. This sets the scene and foreshadows the mood for the upcoming tracks and also gives the listener a few minutes to prepare for the journey ahead. The music on the whole EP compliments the sci-fi and dark themes perfectly giving an overall epic feel to the finished product.
The EP reunites Scissortongue with Lamplighter who featured heavily on his last album and helped shape the sonic landscapes on both records with his dark, ominous synths, tones and minimalistic syncopated beats. Also featured on production is New York based Eon Ra, LDZ and Problem Child's producer Sumgii, Konchis, Miles Courtney and Dirty Dike.
A clever mix of slow churning strings, eerie vocals and melodies, droning ambient synths and hypnotic beats encompass the atmosphere of Scissortongues twisted visions of mans metaphorical and possible future. Each artist on the EP helps mould the canvas for this dark dystopian
fable-esque story, designed to make you listen attentively to the many
layers the narrative has to offer.
As to not spoil the story for anyone, we will only give brief clues as to our own interpretations of it. Trust us, its definitely worth sitting down and listening to this with a fresh perspective. Throw aside preconceived notions, for both music and story telling because Scissortongue and his boys don't mind stepping outside the box and straying away from the unconventional.
Reoccurring themes of androids and end-of-the-world scenarios, a land rife in despair, dealing with the aftermath of war amongst a civilization under constant threat. With ever diminishing humility all against the backdrop of the profound question; what is it to exist?
It is deep but that doesn't stop it from being a hugely enjoyable release, in fact, his story telling ability has raised the bar in our opinion. Its tightly woven intricate language and atmospherically drenched beats make this a stand out record and another milestone for Scissortongue and the High Focus crew. The Theremin EP kind of caught me off guard, I knew it would be good, but had no idea HOW good! This is definitely his best work to date and seems to get better the more you listen to it.
For those of you that need a little more than owning a copy of this masterpiece, the launch party takes place on the 3rd of May at Westminster Reference Library, London. The night will feature an MPC set from Lamplighter, a spoken word set from Jam Baxter, Mr Key and Greenwood Sharps, Lee Scott, Dj Sammy B Side, Mowgli performing an audio visual set and Edward Scissortongue showcasing the full Theremin EP live. Advance tickets only £8, a bargain considering the line up and are available from the link bellow.
High Focus had an amazing 2013 seeing the releases of a variety of albums and lots of live performances including festivals. 2014 looks to be heading in the same direction with the first release of the year coming from BVA. Ever since we received the Brothers Of The Stone album, we have been thirsty for more and eagerly awaiting a solo album from Rusty Take Off.
BVA is no stranger to the UK Hip Hop scene, first getting noticed through his work with The 3 Amigos and the now infamous Four Owls. Last year saw the release of the self titled Brothers Of The Stone album, showing us how well the three members of BOTS gel together. The delivery from BVA and Leaf Dog blended with the tight production of Illinformed takes us on a journey of that real hip hop sound and is further explored in Be Very Aware. The album also features an all star line up of guest appearances from
Verb T, Rag N Bone Man, Dirty Dike, Fliptrix, Cracker Jon, Kashmere,
Smellington Piff and Leaf Dog.
The album starts with a great sample about beavers preparing for the winter and then drops straight into the opening track Rain or Shine. Produced by Leaf Dog we get a perfect arrangement of vocal and instrument based samples accompanied by the instantly familiar sound of BVA, rhyming about taking the good with the bad, people trying corrupt you and the importance of staying true to yourself.
The first official single is "This Love is Love". In this tune we can
hear how immersed into the world of hip hop BVA has become and how his
love for everything within the realm of hip hop has matured over the
years, from freestyling in cyphers to
collecting vinyl to play over and over again even though he isn't a dj.
"I freestyle in cyphers, everyone spits written verses, kids could think I'm wack when they don't know I don't rehearse shit."
"I buy vinyl even though I ain't a DJ, original
presses off of Amazon and Ebay, I sit there for weeks with the same
tune on replay, music speaks volumes and I hear what the beats say."
This
attitude towards his art and the direction in which he wants it to
excel is something that resonates within all of the High Focus artists; a
message of staying true to hip hop culture.
The beat provided by
Leaf Dog drops straight into a head nodding blend of keys and shuffled
drums providing a lounge jazz smoothness that compliments the vocals
perfectly.
Gifted stands out as a personal favourite. Everything from the summer and old skool vibes provided by Illinformed, to the guest appearance of Verb T screams instant classic. The piano, guitar and bass samples mesh seamlessly together to lay the groundwork for BVA and Verb T. In the first verse BVA lets us know that he expresses his true thoughts rather than what the mainstream audience expects to hear with his head held high.
"My policy is give a fuck what they all say, its all cock and ball-play, I do this the tall way."
Verb T hits the second verse with flawless execution to wrap this one up ........ with a bow.
"Me and BVA reach out and seize the day, we just changed everything shit will never be the same"
" I got presence on the mic now you fucking know, spit a dope flowthen I wrap it up with a bow."
We can't stress enough how much we love this track, all artists involved shine throughout.
The first taste of the album, "I can't hear you", dropped on youtube
early in January. It showcases BVA flying solo with production from Leaf
Dog, setting the standard of what is to come with the rest of the release. The song opens up with a laid back brass section, a chilled vibe
which we have all come to love from Leaf Dogs signature production
style; heavily infused with jazz and that boom bap beat to accompany it.
The tone is set and BVA is only too obliged to make sure his message is
fully realised. Similar to the BOTS ethos, the lyrics describe what
its like to be on the opposite side of commercialism, straying from what
people expect from the underground UK hip hop scene and more into what
they want to write and hear themselves, producing a more raw but
meaningful approach to beat making and lyrical deliverance. This is a
statement to the masses saying no matter what, they aren't compromising
their art for anything.
Track ten gives us an insight to the vices of three different people, each verse is reflective of how their personal weapons make them feel through the vocal delivery and lyrics. BVA starts the track with the hook, followed by a verse explaining how weed soothes the strain of every day life. Dirty Dikes tale is booze fueled which seems to cause violence and aggression throughout his verse, where as Kashmere tells a very different story of taking Psychedelics. Illinformed gives us a slightly darker tone on this one using predominantly minor chords to set the mood and blend with ease to the darker topics featured on "Weapon of Choice".
Another personal favourite is Crazy Trips featuring Leaf Dog on the verse and tight production from Amdek. Starting off with a skit where Leaf Dog and BVA converse about the poor state of the mushrooms they're about to ingest before the sound of an oriental-type stringed instrument lays down the melody. Rusty then proceeds to tell us of a typical trip gone bad, from his personal point of view.
Sharp vocal delivery gives us a pretty accurate account of a heavy dose of hallucinogenics, and how one moment everything is fine, the next you fight off a stampede of vomit animals climbing up your leg. Leaf Dog hits up the second verse giving us examples of just how imagery can drastically alter the way his trip can take him, claiming "foods looking too crazy to consume, my hands badly animated like my cartoon."
A very funny tune capped off with a hard hitting beat and that catchy melody you'll be humming for hours.
After the high standards set from previous projects, this album does not disappoint on any level and is a must for UKHH fans. We have reviewed a handful of our favourite tracks, but that takes nothing away from the tracks not mentioned. The album is jam packed with 17 bangers, that will be played over and over. We suggest you pre order it now, trust us, you need this in your life! As always it will be available on a variety of formats including limited edition vinyl and digital download from the links below from 14th of Feb 2014.
Happy 2014! It's a bit late, but we decided to take a month off. Already we are seeing some good music coming from Peterborough this year, here is a little taste.
Abstract Vision is a 5 track EP from Peterborough MC, Skeptik. You may recognise track 3, Heatwaves ft Mixy. We have been playing it on the Locality Show since last summer. The rest of the EP was definitely worth the wait. Featuring production from Klimeks and Mellodic Bass, with features from Mixy and Spoze, this wavey banger is available for FREE DOWNLOAD from the link bellow. This is a must for everyone hooked on that wavey shit. The title track is a personal favourite.
Last week we were lucky enough to catch up with Mixy live on the Locality Show. He is working on new material and was kind enough to drop us some fresh bars to keep us going in the meantime.
You can clearly hear me say "YEA" at the start. Does that mean I have now collaborated with Mixy? You be the judge.
On the show he expressed interest in getting back on Don't Flop. Mixy never disappoints in battles and has an impressive win loss record, being defeated only by the reigning champion Tony D. Check out his last battle against Briggzy below, we hope to see him battling again soon!
Someone who's known, not only in Peterborough but internationally, Trampa has been smashing the Dubstep scene (and Twitter) for quite some time and we we're lucky to catch the download for his latest tune. Departing from his usual brand of nosebleed, hard dubstep and venturing into a more trap-like territory, comfortably sitting in the middle of both styles, making it his own. Catch the free download in the link below and also check out another new banger called Gas Tank on Trampa's Soundcloud. Stink face business. You should also follow him on twitter, if you have a dark sense of humour and can handle his tweets.
Klimeks has dropped another fresh banger for 2014. His work rate is something to be desired, I'm sure we will be hearing some fresh material from him soon.
As you can see 2014 is already looking bright for Peterborough. For more local music, tune in to the Locality Show, live every other Wednesday on Peterborough FM and as always continue to support local artists.
Moving forward we want to bring you more musical content than just album reviews. Once a month we will be bringing you a little taste of what the Peterborough music scene has to offer. This month has seen the release of two EPs I have personally been looking forward to, from two of Peterborough's hardest working producers.
First up....
Overnites - Klimeks. For those familiar with his work will know to expect the highest level of production and he doesn't disappoint. 2013 has already seen the beat machine drop the "Nibbles" Ep and the"Glares" Ep and now to close the year with a bang we have Overnites. The Ep has five tracks including the long awaited "Tokyo Train". Each track has his signature wavy stamp and if that's not enough he has also posted an amazing remix of Wiley - Born in the Cold. Having worked with many of the talented MCs that Peterborough has to offer and Blizzard from Don't Flop you can expect 2014 to be a wavy one if Klimeks has any thing to say about it. Overnites available now on Bandcamp.
Next up we have the third and final instalment from our local production legend Juxta.
Juxtafied volume 3 is a perfect example of someone that has found their sound and mastered it. Volume 3 is a bit more grimey than the first two releases and continues to showcase Juxtas ability to merge genres perfectly with hints of Trap, Grime, Hip Hop and more. From the crisp drums of "Wind Up" to the sub heavy "Martian" this one is set to keep you head nodding right into 2014. Volume 2 and 3 are still up on his Bandcamp page and are well worth a download along with the final piece of the trilogy.
For those that know, you already have this. Tha Free(ep) 2 by Omen D has been getting regular plays on the Locality show since its release late October. Omen displays amazing lyrical ability on the six track Ep firmly establishing himself as one of the best that Peterborough has to offer. Personal favourites are "C.R.E.A.M" and the lyrically deep "Hard Times" giving you an insight to Omens political frustrations of our government and money. Omen is on top form throughout every track and we look forward to hearing more from the Boro Badman.
Xidus Pain is a name familiar to any one from Peterborough that has a taste for REAL HIP HOP. This video, "One of the Flyest" was directed by Carl Peck and gives us our first taste of the yet to be released album "Project X". The video has a great super hero theme and solidifies Xidus Pain as One of the Flyest!
And finaly, the TWBEATZ crew have been making some serious noise throughout 2013 as a collective. As the year comes to a close we are now waiting on solo projects from the crew. Here are some promo videos from the projects that are set to blow up in 2014.
Koxe-Conforming to the Devil promo freestyle.
Jay R Freestyle. Time is my Enemy promo.
Gav D - Just another Day promo freestyle.
These guys are defiantly one to watch next year. Subscribe to their You tube channel to keep up to date with TwBeatz music.
Make sure you support the artists featured by downloading tracks, following on Twitter, liking on Facebook and rate/comment on videos. Expect big things from all these guys in 2014.
For more info and music from Peterborough artists check out the Locality Show page.
