Tag Archives: hip hop

0008129337_10

Krayb David – live techno from Athlone spaaaaaace

What you may need to know…

01. Precious little information exists about the two-headed, seemingly crab-like beast that is Krayb David. According to label pressers, “he drifts through space and time”.

02. Despite the not-inconsiderable logistic problem of being non-committal about on which plane of existence to settle, Earth-bound record company Cut & Paste Records caught the beast long enough to agree to a vinyl release for one of his missives last summer.

03. Streaming above is most recent solo effort, Time Crabs Dream of Electric Egg Ships. Though not to be overlooked is newest effort AcidDavid, a titanic 36-minute live techno jam with fellow astronaut AcidFeen.

04. You can find them on a rare live outing at Community Skratch Games in Galway’s Bierhaus on April 15th and 16th. Ireland’s only live turntablism and skratch festival, no less.

Thoughts: Glitchy hip-hop at the wrong speed? Weird retro-futurist techno? You decide. The crab’s journey will likely wear on through the cosmos regardless.

Krayb David

12316505_1089101461123068_7077160089737737057_n

Auxiliary Phoenix – Carlow beats/jams

What you may need to know…

01. Whether working solo or at the centre of a live trio, James Strain, aka Auxiliary Phoenix, specialises in jazzy, hazy beats.

02. New single Night Light features the vocal talents of hip-hop legend Vast Aire, one-half of Cannibal Ox and former collaborator of Run the Jewels’ El-P, as well as Delaware MC Gentle Jones.

03. Streaming above is the VHS-riffing lyric video, premiered via Nialler9 last week.

04. It’s taken from upcoming EP Power Cosmic, available later in Spring via Dublin tape-based label Little L Recordings.

Thoughts: A polished yet relaxed effort that manages to breathe easy under the weight of the star-power of its featurees.

Auxiliary Phoenix

0006702753_10

RíRá – Irish hip-hop legend lasts the test of time

What you may need to know…

01. One of the founding fathers of Irish hip-hop, Tullamore man RíRá helped lay the foundations for our homegrown beat game as part of Scary Éire, alongside DJ Mek, Dada Sloosh and Mr. Browne.

02. He’s been more than active since Scary Éire’s initial album-shelving-induced disbandment, with a string of singles, extended-plays and LPs, all self-released. In addition, he’s had countless features on Irish hip-hop releases, most recently of note, his collab with Waterford’s Nylon Primate.

03. Streaming above is the visual for new single Still Around, released on Monday, created and edited by Cras Cassidy.

04. Available for download and streaming now from Bandcamp and iTunes Music Store, if that’s more your bag.

Thoughts: One of the true “lifers” of Irish independent music affirms his commitment to doing things his way, waxing philosophical in his distinctive gritty tones.

RíRá

david-axelrod-pic

16174504_584293531537_5871725104193364646_n

Above: David Axelrod (top); DJ Jus’Me (bottom-right)

Influential composer and producer David Axelrod died (at 83) last week, leaving behind an astounding legacy, including a crucial role in the development of hip-hop via the sampling of many of his works.

Cork cutman Justin O’Donnell, a.k.a DJ Jus’Me, has lovingly assembled a mix for those new to his body of work. He writes:

It’s about 40 minutes worth of classic and massively influential music from the man himself as well as some of his productions for Lou Rawls, David MacCallum, Cannonball Adderly etc. There was a lot more I could have put on here but its a good intro to his music if you’re not familiar. Have a listen… I’m very proud of it.

JusMe on Mixcloud

Naive Ted 4

Naive Ted – further teasings of The Minute Particulars?

What you may need to know…

01. Regular YMLT readers will be well-up on Naive Ted by now if they weren’t before. Lucha-masked weirdo beats king resident in Limrock.

02. Following up from 2015’s The Inevitable Heel Turn album this year will be The Minute Particulars, a series of collaborations and jams that, according to Ted’s representative Andy Connolly in last night’s Evening Echo, isn’t necessarily a formal album, either.

03. Streaming above is the found-footage vidjo for newly-released track Grind Manifest. This may or may not be part of the aforementioned project.

04. Naive Ted plays the Roundy in Cork tomorrow night at 10.45 as part of Quarter Block Party, triumphantly returning to a spot his performances have left worse for wear in the past.

Thoughts: The line between electronica and demented sound-art in Ted’s output continues to blur wildly.

Naive Ted

10552498_677344755667381_4138605973625323595_n

Grim Pickinz – troublesome tunes from Dublin and the UK

01. Kynz-Illa from Dublin and DateOne from Peterborough are the constituent parts of Amsterdam-based project GRIM PICKINZ.

02. December of 2014 saw the duo release The Troublesome Sound E.P. independently, and they’ve since been regulars both around Amsterdam’s venues and on guest appearances for Irish rappers and producers.

03. The remastered edition of their extended-player is available for streaming in the widget above, and for download from their newly-setup Bandcamp. Kynz-Illa is also streaming his instrumentals (and licensing them to interested musical parties) from his own new Bandcamp.

04. Comes to Broadsheet offices Karl’s den via the recommendation of Limerick beat dons The Unscene.

Thoughts: Heavy-hitting boom-bap for those partial to same, topped off by deft Dub-accented wordplay.

GRIM PICKINZ

12715962_551881658310185_1972179811307937103_o

Gavin Doyle – Tipperary beatmaker and MC

What you may need to know…

01. Behind the mic, he’s Gavin DaVinci, but under his own name, Tipp man Gavin Doyle is fairly handy at putting a beat together.

02. At nineteen years old, he’s only after getting kicked off properly in the last year, with a string of single releases.

03. Streaming above is Doyle’s new single Dead Rabbits ‘n’ Humans, a collaboration with fellow Tipp wordsmith Mychee.

04. The pair have also set up Broken Jaw Records, a net-label for their beats and instrumentals. Warning: banner pic is probably NSFW.

Thoughts: As a rapper, there’s inflections of Irish accent and well-tested grime patter, but it’s his rapidly improving beatmaking that’s the story here.

Gavin Doyle

Screenshot (124)

Jar Jar Jr. – DIY beats from Cork

What you may need to know…

01. Jar Jar Jr (or ｊａｒ ｊａｒ ｊｒ, to use the proper nomenclature) is the nom-de-plume of Cork beatmaker Robert O’Halloran.

02. He’s amassed quite the cult following for himself, particularly in the last year, where fan-made videos of his tracks have racked up massive views, including over 300,000 for fan visuals for his track ambitions.

03. The wider music internet has taken notice, with playlist site/aggregator Indie Shuffle placing him in their hip-hop best-of for 2016, alongside DJ Shadow, Chance the Rapper and Jurassic 5. As you do.

04. Streaming above is the video for ah well, released last month via his own Soundcloud, and featuring UK rapper/poet Looms. Visuals directed by Aleks Podhorowska.

Thoughts: Progressing from jazzier beatmaking to lo-fi compositions and collaborations in recent times, Jar Jar Jr.’s 2016 surely serves as a portent for bigger things this year.

Jar Jar Jr.

a2527211147_10

Strangefish – Irish hip-hop superteam from the archives

What you may need to know…

01. Strangefish was/is a collaborative effort between Northern emcee Jee4ce, Belfast beatmaker SertOne, and Limrock cutman(s) Deviant & Naive Ted, operational between 2012 and 2013.

02. This self-titled E.P. was assembled inbetween shiftwork and fits of existential crisis in bedrooms in Liverpool, Dublin and Edinburgh, with ideas and bits flung back and forth over the interwebs.

03. It’s streaming and available for download in the widget above, releasing via Liverpudlian label Fly High Society.

04. The blurb/copy accompanying this record states that this is the “first compilation” from the outfit, implying either more archive material or fresh cuts down the road.

Thoughts: With the recognisable sonic fingerprint of each participant evident, this extended-player provides plenty for Irish hip-hop heads to dig into, while the EP’s digs into psychedelia and playfulness ought to appeal to first-timers.

Strangefish