The Summer continues to be dominated by phenomenal Hip Hop releases, but familiar faces from the electronic world made their presence known.
Hot Chip – A Bath Full of Ecstasy
Mainstays of the electronic world, Hot Chip return with a stunning album. Originally becoming a fan around the release of their 2006 album The Warning, Hot Chip have consistently kept me hooked with their unique lyrics and themes, as well as their amazing instrumentation. After 4 years since their last effort, the band have crafted an album of pure joy, brimming over with songs of white hot love and infatuation.
The lead single Hungry Child had my hopes for the album through the roof. With its driving drum beat and anthemic piano lead, this song is steeped in the history of 90s rave classics. The intro track, Melody of Love, shares these anthemic qualities, opening the album with shimmering and layered synths. Following this, Spell greets us with a drums beat that sounds like it was pulled straight from a Prince track, with a vocal lead and lyrics that groove with the coolness of a Grace Jones song. Bath Full of Ecstasy opens with modulated vocals, smoothly transitioning into a pure groove, the instrumental drawing on elements of R’n’B. On Why Does My Mind, Alexis Taylor sings of how he is so enamoured with his significant other he literally can’t think straight, his thought of trust and love becoming muddled. On the closing track No God, Taylor says there is literally nothing on the earth or in the heavens which can make him feel like love does. An utterly beautiful song, the lyrics touch of themes of retribution, and being saved by love.
This album deserves every praise it gets. From the catchy dance elements, to the beautiful song crafting, this album completely wraps you in the ecstasy-filled haze it intends to. A perfect Summer release, Hot Chip deliver an album that is infectious, seeping its way into your brain to meld with sun-soaked memories of joy and happiness.
Benny The Butcher – The Plugs I Met
When you think of New York Hip Hop, the first thing that comes to your mind is Biggie, Big L, Jay Z, Nas, Wu Tang Clan, and the rappers who brought the five boroughs of New York to the forefront of Hip Hop world. Outside the sphere of the five boroughs, you had legends like Rakim representing Long Island, but with Benny The Butcher, we have to go to Buffalo in the western reaches of New York state to explore his work.
An affiliate of the hardened brothers rap duo, Conway the Machine & Westside Gunn, Benny details the harsh surrounding Buffalo and his experiences in the drug world. This is straight-up street rap, have no doubt about that. With his sleek words and tough delivery, Benny shakes of any suggestion of disingenuous claims, he has lived this and you can feel it through the pictures he paints in your head. This EP is loaded with features, from legends like Black Thought (who delivers one of his effortlessly monstrous verses) and Jadakiss, as well Benny’s label mate, Conway the Machine. Pusha T features on 18 Wheeler, and makes you realise you will never tire of his coke-laced raps.
A great project from Benny, it will leave you wanting all the street-hardened rap you can possibly get.
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Bandana
It goes without saying that Madlib is simply one of the best producers to ever do it. Freddie Gibbs stands as one of the most technically gifted and interesting rappers of the last ten years. When they joined forces in 2014, they blessed the world of Hip Hop with the classic that was Pinata. 5 years later, they have reunited to create the follow-up to their instant classic, with what is easily another one for the books.
With Flat Tummy Tea and Giannis serving as the lead singles, they set the album up perfectly. As is to be expected with Madlib, the beats are seem effortlessly meticulous. The samples are no doubt pulled from the depths of the darkest crates, or from a short-lived Korean soap opera that never saw Western TV screens. They range from jazzy guitar chords to teeth-gritting riffs, perfectly chopped vocal snippets to random interludes of monologues. On Halfe Manne Half Cocaine, Madlib demonstrates that trap-inspired beats are something he can do in his sleep. Gibbs, ever the chameleon, flows like a river over any beat put in front of him – rapid fire bars are a walk in the park for the Indiana native. His grizzled voice only serves to make his delivery even more menacing, the grit and grime of the gangster life is what we’re here for, and Freddie’s lyrics and cadence deliver this is heaps. This grit even translates to Anderson .Paak, his verse on Giannis is out of character for .Paak, but he sounds right at home on the track.
Gibbs crime talk is complimented by guest verses from the likes of Pusha T and Black Thought, who are yet to miss when it comes to delivering a street-hardened verse. Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def) makes an unexpected but highly welcomed appearance with Black Thought on Education, while Atlanta’s Killer Mike joins Pusha to deliver the hook Palmolive.
It has already been a great year for Street/Gangster Rap, and this album only serves to beef up those stats. Yet again, Gibbs and Madlib have delivered a classic. A perfect follow-up to Pinata, we are witnessing a duo on the level of Guru and DJ Premier’s Gang Starr.
Daphni – Sizzling EP
Whether it’s under Daphni or Caribou, a release by Dan Snaith will always get my attention, and this one fully deserves it. A short but oh sweet EP, Snaith delivers four thumping Nu-Disco bops.
Classic, Donna Summers-esque vocals, provided by Paradise, open the proceedings on Sizzling. The beat is make you feel like you’ve been transported back to a sweaty disco club in Downtown Manhattan. If takes a harder form, with a jazzy lead and a heavy beat, Romeo sounds like Boney M were in the studio working with Snaith, while the closer Just has a sound that would’ve fit nicely into the running order of an episode of Soul Train.
This is the perfect Summer release, and will make you want to go clubbing from the first listen.
Incoherent Music Rants 