Hip Hop Week Part 1...



DJ Signify - Sleep No More

Sweet Zombie Jesus! This is good, this is very good! Lex Records, Warp Records hip-hop off-shoot, have been purveying some excellent hip-hop based wares in there short life (Hymie's Basement, Dangermouse & Gemini, Tes, Boom Bip to name a few) but this one is way ahead. Mainly instrumental, with guest vocals from the Henry Rollins of hip-hop: Sage Francis, and the... well, I don't know, I havem't really heard him much: Buck 65; this album has one main trick to keep it head and shoulders above the rest - atmosphere, it's as dark as fuck! You know that scene in Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader is seen putting his helmet on and getting out of his chamber? Well, this is what he was listening to before heading off to lop his son's hand off... Excellent stuff, possible album of the year material.



Blockhead - Music By Cavelight

OK, How do you follow the Signify album - well for one lighten the atmosphere, not too much, but take some of the fear away - maybe speed the beats up a little, and ditch the scary rappers. Oh, look here's the new CD by Blockhead (whose also produced some Aesop Rock tracks - who has kindly donated some instrumental versions to a bonus disc here) to fit the bill almost exactly. Very good, fans of other instrumental hip-hop producers - I'm trying my best not to say it, but I'm going to have to relent... DJ Shadow - will enjoy this.