Tag Archives: Chris Power

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Chris Power – Leeside beatmaker with second mixtape

What you may need to know…

01. Last time we checked in with Chris Power, he’d released his first mixtape for Cork’s Cuttin’ Heads Collective.

02. He’s just released his second, entitled The Trees, a mix of instrumentals, remixes and collaborations, including with Detroit MC Sincere.

03. It’s streaming above, and available for free/pay-what-you-want download.

04. The Cuttin’ Heads lads, Power among them, converge on Pigalle Bar, Barrack St. on the Friday of this Jazz Weekend in Cork – kickoff at 8pm, strictly jazzy hip-hop.

Verdict: More of what’s good – and good to see his work with collaborators ahead of more high-profile releases on the horizon.

Chris Power

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Chris Power – Cork beatsmith returns with WhytFaux: The Conman & Slim

What you may need to know…

01. Amid an already stupidly-decent few weeks for Irish hip-hop comes another quality drop, this time from Cork beat-maker, previous column featuree and chicken roll aficionado Chris Power.

02. As mentioned previously, Power’s been a busy man, working with much-fancied MC Atari Jones, and hip-hop royalty in Illa J (J Dilla’s brother), with another flurry of new material due later this year.

03. Streaming above is WhytFaux: The Conman & Slim, a brand-new tape of instrumentals laden with smooth sampling and boom-bap goodness. Cover image  (top) by Shane O’Donovan features the entrance to Castlepalooza (Charleville Castle, Tullamore, Co Offaly),

04. This is also the debut release from the newly-formed label arm of Cork’s Cuttin’ Heads Collective, a multiple-headed beast of DJs, producers, promoters and other such folk that have banded together to advance the cause of beats in Leeside society.

Verdict: Innovative, yet instantly accessible sample-play and well-placed skits abound. Serious business.

Chris Power

Chris Power

MANMAID (Chris Power & Gunkel) – Gum

What you may need to know…

01. Getting his start DJing on pirate radio at 14, Cork’s Chris Power is beginning to amass a serious body of work.

02. His collaborations and production have been garnering attention, working with the likes of hip-hop royalty Illa J (who he also supported on J’s recent Irish tour), Cleveland wordsmith Atari Jones, and most recently, fellow Cork producer Gumbel.

03. The latter has resulted in experimental/ambient collab project MANMAID, whose new single Gum is streaming in the video above. “Exploration of mind and space” is the order of the day.

04. It’s a busy year ahead of the 22-year-old. Later on in the year sees an EP release with Atari Jones, more solo work, and a project involving Detroit rappers Dank and Yakuza Moon.

Verdict: Cork’s hip-hop scene has been steadily growing, with Cuttin’ Heads Collective’s nights in UrbanJungle (of which Power is also a part) laying a foundation. Between production and DJing, Power looks set to form an important component of this in the long-run, and an upcoming US excursion will only broaden his palate and experience.

Chris Power