Gorilla Warfare Tactics – ‘Zoology’

Earlier this month Gorilla Warfare Tactics returned with the excellent ‘drugDILLA’, after a nearly two-year gap from releasing music. 

The NYC duo are back once again with ’Zoology’, the title track from their forthcoming album which will be released on April 30th. There’s no major surprise to find they continue to tread the same path as those who have gone before them. GWT’s particular brand of revivalism, which appropriates the styles of past masters with their own added twist, has always worked ever so well. Anyway, ’Zoology’ captures this perfectly and is so, so smooth, it might also be Dilla’s finest vocal performance to date. It’s not like their forthcoming album needed upped in the anticipation stakes but ‘Zoology’ has done just that, a fantastic cut with a real groove of it’s own. 

There’ not long to go till Zoology is released in full (April 3oth) until then you can stream/download the title track below. 

Akala – ‘Lose Myself’ feat. Josh Osho

London MC, Akala has been without doubt one of the finest voices to emerge in UK hip hop over the past number of years.

Always honest, challenging and thought provoking, Akala makes a welcome return with the release of a brand new video for his single ‘Lose Myself’ featuring Josh Osho. Akala is in indomitable form once again, dropping rhymes with help of Josh Osho against a rocking backdrop.  The single is out on May 20, a week before the release of his forthcoming fourth album, The Thieves Banquet, which is out on 27th of May. Akala has consistently proven his talent over the years, consequently it is worth checking out his previous three albums - It’s Not A Rumour (2006) and Freedom Lasso (2007) & DoubleThink (2010) - if you haven’t done so already that is.

You can check out  ’Lose Myself’ feat. Josh Osho below & maybe, just maybe, this time we might see Akala grace our shores with his presence. Finger crossed.

Gorilla Warfare Tactics – ‘drugDILLA’

Gorilla Warfare Tactics have returned to the fold after what seems like an age. In reality it’s only been two years since they caused a mini-storm online with their superb debut EP, Premier, before shuffling off into the shadows.

The New York City trio’s time away has been fruitful, their recent absence should not be confused for a lackadaisical attitude, these guys have been putting in work and it certainly shows. The have reemerged with ’drugDILLA’, the first track taken from their forthcoming album, Zoology, which will be released on April 30th. They continue their journey down an old-school path, appropriating the styles of past masters without sounding like rip-off merchants. ’drugDILLA’ is a step up in class; breezy and feel-good, the rhyming and flow sounds so effortless and the beat, well, it’s got more bounce than Zebedee.

The time away has been well spent by GWT & when Zoology comes out on April 30th, it should be worth the wait. Check ’drugDILLA’ below and see for yourself. 

The Expert & Danny Diggs – ‘Expert Diggs’

The Expert (one half of Messiah J & The Expert) has teamed up with Canadian counterpart Danny Diggs for a collaborative EP, aptly titled, Expert Diggs. 

The EP came from a simple idea whereby The Expert & Danny Diggs decided to digg in the crates and find songs to give each other to sample and flip and put their own unique spin on them. The result as you’ve probably guessed is Expert Diggs, which sounds like a real labour of love. So who flipped it better? Who cares? The really winner is us, the listeners, who are treated to two persons takes on a short but sweet selection tracks, spliced and diced into infectious, head nodding and beat filled jams. It more or less picks up where The Expert left off with the Neckbreakers beat tape, which in case you missed it, was excellent also.

You can download Expert Diggs in it’s entirety for free from bandcamp, you can’t say fairer than that, now can you?

Ghostpoet – ‘MSI MUSMID’

How time flies? Two years on from the release of his excellent debut, Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam, Ghostpoet has announced he is to return with a new album, Some Say I So I Say Light, in May.

With this news comes brand new single and taster of his forthcoming LP, ’MSI MUSMID’. Seemingly based on a dream Ghostpoet had where dimsum and noodles were life-long friends who kept squabbling all the time, trying in vain to make sense of it all. As you do. The lethargic murmurings remain a cornerstone of his work, but backed by an inventive flow of layered electronics with a jazzy kind of feel.

Some Say I So I Say Light will be released on the 6th of May. It’s good to see him back with new material, certainly one to keep an eye out for.

Introducing: Jak Skelly

New York City Emcee Jak Skelly has a pretty simple manifesto, aiming to “bring hip hop back home, back to the fans, and of course back to his heart”.

It is an ethic he adheres to rigidly on his two cuts ‘Just To Get By (Lalala)’ and ’1995′, reverting to a simpler time and resurrecting styles from hip-hop’s past, it is one that proves rather fruitful. He keeps things simple on both tracks, rapping over a straightforward beat and samples, to produce easy on the ear, positive and laid back hip-hop. ‘Just To Get By (Lalala)’ and ’1995′ are the stand out tracks from his Hell of a Life mixtape.

You can listen to both tracks below and the Hell of a Life mixtape here.

SertOne – Vinyl Release & Remixes

SertOne is without question one of Ireland’s most promising producers, both prodigious and prolific. It is strange to still refer to him as ‘promising’ such is sheer dearth of material already under his belt, but with each release comes promise of even greater things to come. One wonders where will he go to next?

For now at any rate, it is back to the future. Released digitally last year, Shapes in the Sky has now thankfully made it’s way onto 12″ vinyl. The EP itself is fantastic; head-nodding beats, slick samples and hip-hop influenced grooves are met with swagger and confidence, to produce some serious funked up jams that will bounce around your head all day. The 12″ is out now and comes with quality exclusive remixes from Danny Drive Thru, Lemonada and SIGNAL, which you can sample below.

Shapes in the Sky is out now on 12″ vinyl through Melted Music & can be ordered from here. For the record (no pun intended, my copy hasn’t left the turntable since it arrived this morning.

BarryGruff’s Irish Albums of the Year 2012

Pretty self explanatory this one. There’s been a lot of great music released in Ireland over the past 12 months & here’s ten Irish albums I’ve enjoyed the most in 2012. You can also check out the ‘Albums of 2012‘ & ‘Irish Songs of 2012‘ if you want.

10. The Expert – ‘Neckbreakers’

Not strictly an album, more of a beat tape as it happens but who makes theses rules? Over seven glorious cuts of jazzy instrumentals The Expert takes us on a head nodding journey from start to finish. Having produced beats for over fifteen years, mainly with his band MJEX, it certainly shows. A worthy addition to any record collection.

09 Imploded View – ‘Picnics With Pylons’

Picnics With Pylons is the debut album from Longford based producer Imploded View (aka Jerome McCormick). Continuing with his forte for atmospheric downtempo electronic music, his debut rarely if ever, emerges from first gear. Preferring to meander through a vast and cloudy world of extremely chilled ambient sounds, an air of calmness permeates the entire record. McCormick is certainly comfortable in this skin, he seems at peace, a feeling transposed to the listener as the airy productions wash over you, allowing time for delicate detail, added emotional depth and mood and thought provoking atmospherics. An assured and composed debut.

08 The P Affection – ‘Cakes For Occasions’

The P Affection’s debut was a scatter-shot of indie-pop, rock, ska, and folk, a very good one it must be said. While staying true to the influences of that record, with Cakes For Occasions, The P Affection have grown as a band and refined their sound. It’s a pretty irresistible and varied selection of power-pop and harder edge indie-rock coated in a mix of humorous and heartfelt lyrics. The P Affection continue to improve in all that they do, it’s going to be exciting to see where to next.

07 House of Dolls – ‘House of Dolls’

Taking their cue from the likes of The Chameleons, The Verve, Jesus & Mary Chain and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; there is no messing around with House of Dolls. Equally adept in the psych-rock/shoegaze department or rip-roaring  dirty rocking guitar riffs. It is here where the albums persona lies, flipping seamlessly between the two styles, on the one hand the fired up brutish rock sounds and on the other, the more measured and steady but no less captivating psych-rock sounds. A very good album, one deserving of much greater exposure.

06  Our Krypton Son – ‘Our Krypton Son’

Our Krypton Son is Derry man Chris McConaghy, who on gathered close musician friends together to create the band in early 2010, they have taken time to produce their self-titled debut. It is a warm collection of alt-rock/folk songs, imbued with an eerie sense of melancholy and an autumnal feel. McConaghy proves himself an excellent songwriter and his voice is possess a real richness and warmth. Our Krypton Son is a solid debut with so much to like but, having seen them live, there is even more to come.

05 Knoxville Morning – ‘Knoxville Morning’

A trip across the US left Ciaran Dwyer of Band On An Island with a collection of songs and stories, of a distinctly different variety to those of BOAI, and so Knoxville Morning was born. Under this new alias, with Dwyer at the helm, he is joined by fellow BOAI members and The Mighty Stef, Gavin Elsted (We Are Losers), Brian Gallagher (Humanzi), Stephen Fahey (Super Extra Bonus Party) and Claire Prendergast. The record is a sweet blend of folk, country and Americana, and while it wears it’s US influences on it’s sleeve, Ciaran’s intuitive storytelling remains a linchpin that holds everything together. It maybe shouldn’t work, but it does, and remarkably well too, which is a credit to Dwyer and all involved.

04 Lethal Dialect – LD 50 Part II

LD 50 Part II is the second record from Dublin rapper Lethal Dialect and it is extremely impressive. Composed, confident and intelligent, there is no bullshit bravado here, just great rap tunes. LD’s greatest asset is his voice, spitting salient bars above beats and samples, he utilises every breath to paint an all too realistic depiction of life in Dublin. Delving into a whole raft of topics and issues others tend to refrain from, he’s cool, calm, sometimes agitated and angry but always passionate. A refreshing and thought-provoking new voice, not only for Irish hip-hop but Irish music in general.

03 Ghost Estates – ‘Ghost Estates’

Prior to this release, Ghost Estates had already carved out quite a name for themselves, their debut album goes someways to realising their potential. With three songwriters in the band, stylistically it’s diverse, taking in a mix of new wavey sounds, reach for the sky guitar anthems and straight up indie rock. This amalgam has seen them arrive at their own distinct sound of hazy electronica edged indie which send a shiver down the spine. It is said two heads are better than one, well, judging by Ghost Estates’ debut, three are certainly better than two. Easily one of the best Irish indie album for some time.

02 Nathan Conway & The River Valley Band – ‘Nathan Conway & The River Valley Band’

Nathan Conway & The River Valley Band certainly borrow from the past to create a timeless soulful country sound, and have found their niche. The tone is soulful country, set to overarching themes of demise and redemption, draped in Conway’s intuitive storytelling which paints vivid pictures with his words. Mostly you feel they are working together, from the swinging uptempo tracks to the less blustery, slower numbers. They have a rapport with one another; brass, percussion strings and Conway’s deep bellowed croon, all work in perfect tandem. Sonny Boy requires a degree of patience, but it is worth it. A beautiful, timeless and assured album.

01 Conor Mason – ‘Standstill’

Standstill continues where 2009’s When It’s Over left off, flowing gently by, amid a sea of soft lilting vocals, whispering lyrical poeticisms and subtle instrumentation. It is permeated by an air of richness, comforting tranquillity and shrouded in melancholy. Standstill is a slow burner and requires patience, understanding and repeated listens to be fully appreciated. Standstill is a beautiful, simplistic and assured album and sometimes that is quite enough.

BarryGruff’s Irish Songs of 2012 (Mixtape)

2012 has been another impressive year for Irish releases, leaving us with a hell of a lot of great albums, EPs and songs to enjoy. For such a small place it can be surprising, the sheer quantity and quality of stuff in Ireland. On the surface at least, Irish music appears alive, well and more diverse and vibrant than ever.

In an attempt to do the year some justice (some, I said), I decided to cobble together some of my favorites from throughout the year into a mixtape/compilation. Please excuse the odd mistake, my laptop has not been kind to me the past week. Without further ado, here’s my favourite ‘Irish Songs of 2012′.  The tracklisting is after the jump.

Jezz At Home – ‘Mad’

Jezz At Home are a French duo (from Lyon, I think) who’s musical passions arise from two separate schools, Techno on one side and hip-hop on the other. The result of this union is one where styles are mixed and influences insidiously blend together.

Having worked together for some time, the union has borne a child, well an EP actually. Title track ‘Mad’ reflects the plurality of the duo’s background as jazzy hip hop and snappy beats are met with a dash of dub reggae. It is a downright infectious near eight minutes of slick feelgood sounds.

Jezz At Home’s Mad EP is out now through Swarm Prod. You can stream ‘Mad’ and ‘Armless Guitar’ below, and you’ll get the idea.

Best of 2012: w/ Cormac Brady (DJ/SEBP)

It’s that time of year when every music website, publication and blog (including this one) are busy compiling end of year lists. This time around, I thought I’d shift the focus to the bands and artist’s who’ve played a ‘BarryGruff Presents’ show this year and ask them for their ‘favourite album of 2012′, ‘favourite song of 2012′ & ‘favourite Irish song of the year’.

Enough chat from me, here’s Cormac Brady (SEBP/DJ extraordinaire) and his picks from the year that was 2012.

Album of the year: El-P – ‘Cancer for Cure’

Cancer for Cure is an intense piece of work, dealing with paranoia, escapism through substance abuse, loss, and ultimately the idea that we, society, are the world’s greatest problem. That’s not to say it’s un-listenable though. This album is a beast, it has enough venom and satire to tackle the subject matter in a manner that leaves you revitalized – this is a fight record, not a whinge. The lyrical delivery is sharp, aggressive and unapologetic, featuring a rake of top emcees that move comfortably within the boundaries of El-P’s dystopia. Killer Mike and Despot weigh in on Tougher Colder Killer, while Danny Brown and Mr Muthafuckin’ eXquire feature on ‘Oh Hail No’, a cleverly titled ode to telling religion and blind allegiance where to shove it – “I’ve been told I was put here to fail, never ask me to hail”

El-P’s skills as a producer take on a new edge with each album he releases, Cancer for Cure hits hard, hi hats rattle in the background as bombastic hits rupture the abrasive synthlines. It’s the type of album you want to play loud as fuck and shove in people’s faces. I can’t write about this album without also mentioning R.A.P Music by Killer Mike. Another incredible album produced by El-P, reminiscent of Bomb Squad and confirming that Killer Mike is the best emcee in hip hop right now. Check it out. Anyway, the reason I picked C4C as my album of the year is because I’ve listened to it the most. Bam.

Favourite song of 2012: Baauer – Harlem Shake

I didn’t pick this tune on the basis of its poetic endeavor  I could probably re-evaluate my decision here and pick another tune for very different reasons, but I won’t. Times are hard, we all need to lighten the fuck up and party more, this tune sound-tracked some great nights for me this year, so why not pick it? Throw it on loud and jump around with your mates before they all emigrate.

Favourite Irish song of 2012: Knoxville Morning – ‘Lighthouse Song’

The tune I’ve picked here is by my mate Ciaran, released under his Knoxville Morning project. It was the highlight of that record for me. It’s a heartwarming tune sang in an honest way and it speaks of a sanctuary from the madness that we all need.

Telling It As It Is | An Interview With Lethal Dialect

The new issue of Lookleft has hit the shelves across Ireland this week. Here is an interview with Lethal Dialect from the previous issue. Lookleft is available in every Easons north / south & other selected retailers.

*At the time of writing LD was working on new album ‘Magnum Opus’, this has since changed & he is working on a different record, ’1988′. Explained better here.

Over the past 18 months Dublin rapper Lethal Dialect (LD) has emerged as, not only on of the most exciting acts in Irish hip hop, but Irish music in general. Taking time out from recording his third album, LD caught up with Lookleft.

Growing up surrounded by house and dance music, hip hop became his true musical love. For LD the attraction to Hip Hop was the social commentary, “I know it sounds clichéd to mention but 2Pacs ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby’ was definitely an influence. It’s not just relative to African American communities but ours as well. It’s the only music form I could ever really relate to. It’s the only form that has a lot of lyricism involved, unlike other music; it’s more about what you’re saying.”

A deep thinker for as long as he can remember, he always found the need to express himself and hip hop was a natural choice. It is the attitude which shapes and informs his own musical style, concerning himself with the everyday things, good and bad, that he sees around him. Although he is keen to stress “It’s not just about talking about how you feel or what you see, it’s easy to do that. It’s about saying things in a creative or slick way with wordplay or a clever twist that’s the challenge.”

It’s an attitude and approach which has in time won over many music fans as he explains, “The first album was an underground album with a lot of dark undertones so I wasn’t expecting much but it put the name in a few heads.” With the second album the reception was much different. “It’s been received very well.  I couldn’t shout out everyone who helped promote because I’d be here all day but it’s gotten radio play, it’s been in nearly every Irish newspaper and a few things on television. “

LD believes hip hop in this country may finally beginning to get the recognition it deserves but also feels some of this attention may be misplaced, as both good and bad acts receive the limelight. “I think they are exploiting many of the jokers or novelty acts by focusing a light on them while the likes of Scary Éire or RíRá never got the media recognition they deserve.”

With a certain level of derision when it comes to the genre, is there an attempt to undermine hip hop as happened in the US and UK? LD believes there is a certain amount of conspiracy, “anytime I have been on anything to do with the mainstream media there has been an undercurrent of taking the piss out of it but what do you do? You can either be on mainstream media and have your name out there or ignore it and your name won’t be out there. I think it’s about finding a balance.”

This is not the only prejudice he’s experienced while trying to get his music heard. “I have noticed a lot of classism for example, especially with things on RTE. There’s definitely a lot of classism there that they need to be look at themselves. I’ve noticed a lot of it lately in Irish society in general, I suppose I never really noticed it before until I started to get out there and do different things. I don’t think it should matter. “

In spite of these obstacles the future looks bright for Lethal Dialect and he’s very upbeat about the new album. “When the third album Magnum Opus drops, that will be the pinnacle of what we’re gonna do at a street level and then hopefully do a proper studio album.” It like previous releases is “100% DIY or homemade” and “100% percent original beats and lyrics” and while still dealing with serious subjects “it’s much more upbeat and lyrical” than previous releases.

You can download both LD50 & LD50 Part II for free from http://lethaldialect.bandcamp.com/. Lethal Dialect plays The Workman’s this Sunday, with both albums ‘played in full’ for the last time (details here).