Sixtoo : Body Ache summer – 10” single
Blockhead : Sunday Séance – 12” single
Both out 18th October on ninjatune
Two records linked in style, format (vinyl only !) and release date.
Having recently toured together alongside Lex artist DJ Signify these hip hop producers add more sounds to their ever improving catalogue.
Firstly there is Sixtoos’ record, a six track moody soundtrack piece continuing the type of instrumental hip hop based noise that the Montreal producer set in motion on his recent ‘Chewing on Glass ..’ album.
The first side of the single is ‘Waiting for Anything/Body Ache summer’ a 9 minute epic with real sounding drum loops, pulsating synths, clashing machine noise. Heavy and dark atmospherics make this a late night special. Flip the record and things lighten a little, the same big drums kick things off with ‘The Bricklayers Union’, followed by the subtle sampled orchestrations of ‘Karmic Retribution’ a schizophrenic track, as just when you are chilling to the swelling strings a massive burst of drums and beats adds layers of tension. Finally there is an Alias remix ‘Funny Sticks’ which adds a welcome human element of Anticon trademark distorted vocals, with a sonic setting that would suit any Clive Barker chiller the mood is still somewhat filled with implied nastiness.
Play this record when friends are round and watch their jaws drop, and the perspiration flow.
Luckily to lighten the flow Blockhead has provided a counter piece release. Lifting the serene piano heavy ‘Sunday Séance’ with its light sped up vocal loop, and laidback groove this really is a perfect slice of gorgeousness, and when the harmonica break comes in. wow. But, this track should be known to you from Blockheads album ‘Music by Candlelight’, so what else is provided to make this 12” worthy of the hard earned.
Well, for me it’s the inclusion of a remix of ‘Sunday Séance’. I say remix, pah, that’s not a suitable word, Loka (a duo from Liverpool from the details I have) have turned this laidback pleasantness into a full on live jazz drum orchestrated epic. The opening hammond organ, and stirring strings teases the listener into a place of calm before all hell breaks loose as the drums hit, the bass line builds, the piano chords crash in and the monster rips its up, the simple melody line of the original is maintained keeping the links to the source, but apart from that there is of Blockheads creation. A breathtaking 6 minutes.
The other side displays where Blockhead originally came from, teaming up with his old cohort Aesop Rock, and Camu Tao (doesn’t any one have normal names anymore ?) for the hard and heavy hip hop beats of ‘Jet Son’, having never heard Aesops flow before I can say this insight makes me want to hear more. The man has a non-thug approach that is refreshing and fits the sax heavy beats in a fully formed manner. The addition of the instrumental version is a nice filler and is exactly what it says, revealing the depth of quality within Blockheads production.