Antipop Consortium-Arrhythmia

Antipop Consortium are not the sort of rap group that make waves commercially speaking, and it's a proven fact since "Arrhythmia" has been out for a number of years. That being said, what they lack in commercial viability they make up for in inventiveness and lyrical acrobatics seldom seen in modern day hip hop.

But why?

Well, for one, the beat selection is downright puzzling. This album is years ahead of its time in terms of beats. It has all the characteristics of a quirky electronic vibe to it, but without the negative effects such as autotune and the general sound lackluster production with predominantly electric sounds usually seems to feature (I'm talking about you, Lil Jon. The East Side Boys too.). Some (cough, Pitchfork) seem to refer to this particular style of production as a product of post 9-11 paranoia (see there reviews of fellow NY Acts TV on the Radio and El-P respectively). They could be correct, or something like that. The point is, it is a sonically adventurous sound. Granted this is not their first album like this, in fact, it is the last album they released before a lengthy hiatus; the fact remains that it is something truly different.

Does different mean good? In terms of beats, they are part of a glorified half of a math equation that rap music has to somehow fit itself to. The other half of it is lyrics. Weird beats can work, especially with succinct and hard hitting wordplay. The Consortium brings their A game to this record. It's stream of conscious, it's introspective, it is old-school and new school and future school, and it's a host of other things that cannot be properly explained without hearing it.

Specifics? you don't need them. Here's what you need to know. It's 15 tracks long, with relatively short tracks, some interesting skits and all the things you could look for in thought-provoking futuristic rap. Is it for everyone? I think the answer has to be no. Not everyone will appreciate what they do, but to the person who can see the originality and merit, "Arrhythmia" will seem like a brand new record despite it's few years of age.

Woe - A Spell for the Death of Man (2008)

Woe – A Spell for the Death of Man (2008)
Ah, good ole nasty black metal. It brings a tear to me eye to hear those ice-cold, barbed wire guitars screech along with the horrified shrieks of misanthropy over pounding blastbeats. As of recently more and more American black metal bands have been coming out of the woodwork to add their own flair to this time-tested tradition that usually emanates from the frostbitten domain of Scandinavia. American black metal bands tend to have a distinct separation of themes and sounds that sets them apart from their European counterparts. This brings us to Woe, a one-man black metal act hailing from Philadelphia.
The leader and sole member of the band, Chris Grigg, (stage name “Xos”) plays all the instruments and performs vocals in studio. The first thing you’ll notice about this album is that unlike many of his fellow American black metallers, Griggs went for a more polished production style that does not obscure the sound of the music in walls of lo-fi haze. The second thing you’ll notice is that this guy knows how to play all of his instruments pretty damn well. The guitars are angular and buzzing, creating that razorblade sharp sound that’s so important in black metal. The riffs on this album alternate from being atmospheric and dissonant to well… pretty damn catchy. In many one-man black metal bands the drums are either programmed (something which is very hit or miss) or played poorly by a musician who is more familiar with guitar or some other instrument. This is not so with this album. Xos plays the drums with the talent of a full-time black metal drummer, blasting with the best of them. He occasionally drums in a style that is very comparable with the work that many hardcore punk drummers play. That brings up another interesting fact about this album: it has some hardcore punk and *gasp* dare I say it…screamo elements.
Now I know what many of you trve black metal fans are saying, “well you had me and then you lost me with the emo bullshit”. It should be kept in mind that I’m not referring to garbage like From First to Last or something when I say screamo. Think more along the lines of those truly intense and brutal screamo bands like Orchid. Xos utilizes the traditional black metal shriek at most times, his sounding somewhat like a more powerful and slightly lower pitched Ihsahn, but also employs a desperate howl that you might find in a band of the aforementioned screamo style. It’s not whiny at all, just clearly filled with pure despair and is clearer in tone than his black metal vocals. He also double-tracks his vocals at some points to combine low-end grunts with his usually raspy yells.
A Spell for the Death of Man manages to sound familiar to those well-acquainted with bands such as Krallice, or Cobalt, but adds interesting unique elements into the sound to make it entirely unique. The songs go through many different twists and turns, but all in all they do have a tendency to sound relatively similar to one another. This is not such a big deal when you realize that the formula used for these songs is fucking awesome and that the album is only 43 minutes in length, which doesn’t give it a chance to really stagnate. While this album is not going reset the standards in all of black metal (like any album will do that) or sound like something completely unheard of, it is extremely solid and I can’t see why any black metal fan couldn’t get down with it. Highly recommended from this grim and frostbitten individual.
4.5 out of 5
Tracklist:
1. Solitude
2. Alone With Our Failures
3. Longing Is All That Will Remain
4. Condemned as Prey
5. I See No Civilization
6. Wake In Mourning
7. Memento Mori

J. Cole- The Warm Up

J.Cole
The Warm Up
Mixtape (so it's FREE)

Nas told me Hip Hop was dead. I was inclined to believe him. All the evidence I needed came from the R & B top 20 charts. There's an abundance of Cam Ron's, Flo Rida's (such a wonderful rap name), and Rick Ross's but there's a distinct lack of substance.

Enter the world's most overlooked next big thing in hip hop: One J. Cole and his new mixtape "The Warm Up".

The initial reaction to the name is a quizzical "who?" J. Cole is Jay-Z's monstrous new age Roc Nation's flagship artist and what rap blogs everywhere are proclaiming the next big thing. Jay-Z is easily one of the most sought after rappers, but his tenure at Def Jam as President was hardly legendary, even to the most passionate Jay-Z supporters. So, is J. Cole another potential that will go nowhere or is he the next heir to the Roc dynasty and the claim (although Jay is far from it himself) to being the best in the rap world?

"The Warm Up" seems to suggest somewhat of a middle ground as an answer to this question. Mr. Cole is the primary producer and his beats are a very different and unique approach that can't be put into one simple category, but is instantly accessible to both newcomers and the hip hop enthusiast. He does a great job of attaching a vintage sound without sounding like a throwback or a gimmick. It is a wonder that he has not been snatched up as a producer for other acts yet, although this tape will do a lot to change that in all likelihood.

Cole's flow is generally above the majority of his rap peers. He has an understanding of riding a beat that touches on his Southern (sometimes this brings his overall skill down as the South is notoriously not flow oriented) upbringing as well as his relocation to New York City. Lyrically, he is often above average, but there are moments where his rhymes and schemes seem a little elementary. This tends to be in the beginning part of the tape and gets better as it progresses. It is of note that every freestyle on the disc, including a stellar rendition of "Dead Presidents" by Jay-Z and a very solid take of Talib Kweli's "Get By". It's clear J. Cole is a rapper and not a gimmick.

Yet the savior status some are ascribing to the young man is a bit much. Sure, he can rhyme, he can produce, and he has a flow that rivals some of the best out; but there is still something that screams "only pretty good" about him. J. Cole is an incredibly talented commercial rapper with the chance for a stunning career, but he's going to need to put a little more work and effort into the mainstream before he can move into the realm of serious contenders for the future of hip hop and not just a promising rookie.

3.5 out of 5