New Music: V8 as Perry King - Drowning in an Exosuit: The Underwater Album

Veteran Chicago emcee and producer is back, following up his 2018 instrumental cassette Body Crayon on Icy Palms Records with the off the wall Drowning in an Exosuit: The Underwater Album. As what I would consider a pretty big fan of V8 TFD, I picked it up this morning and am bringing you my earliest impressions, after listening to the album at work.

For those of you not familiar with V8 (the voice alongside Morbidly-O's beats in Sludge Factorie), he is not for everyone. His subject matter, when it's clear which isn't always the case, can be fairly base and disgusting. He drops lines about drug use, sex, violence and serial killers (the track "Teardrop Tempest" opens with a fairly long vocal sample suggesting John Wayne Gacy didn't act alone...). He actually opens a release (I Had an Accident Records' Sludge Tape) with several minutes of someone being violently ill. His rhymes often don't, and a lot of his lyrics seem to be stream of consciousness ramblings that make very little sense when put together.

That said, his voice is (in my opinion) one of a kind. And the way he puts together songs is fairly unique as well. His work does remind me in a lot of ways of other abstract hip hop, the darker content and eerier delivery sets it apart, but the similarities are there. Sort of the auditory version of that artist who used to paint pictures with their own feces. The presentation and the media may be pretty foul but it's still a painting. And in this case I happen to think it's pretty good.

Drowning in an Exosuit is that same V8, this is not a polished version of the emcee I know, as can be the case with new releases in this day and age. From the over ten minute opening track "Take a Load Off Fanny" this tape is full of craziness and surprises. These songs often have several different producers, and they often veer completely off the rails at a moments notice. The production is interesting and ranges from electronic and fast paced to solemn and orchestral. The instrumental collage style is more prevalent than on 2017's One Dog Night (get that here, it's dope), with vocal samples stretching on for several minutes, followed by V8's creepy rants, slipping into instrumental interludes and back again. And honestly, one of the things that I love about hip-hop is it's found art roots. The DJ / producer is picking up pieces of someone elses work, and as a music fan, is putting it together in new and interesting ways. In that sense I really feel that hip-hop as a sampled art is a music for the real music fans.

I digress. I don't know how helpful this review is. To sum it up, if you know and hate V8, you'll hate this. If you like him you'll like this. But if you've never heard him and are open to some darker material, with a style unlike virtually anything else out there, give this tape a shot. It's a good one for new listeners.


Get the cassette from Icy Palms Records here on digital or physical, out now!

Lexicon - L-Sides (200?)

Today we've got a compilation from the great Lexicon - Nick Fury and Big Oak. I actually know very little about this one. According to Discogs, it was one of those mixtapes handed out by HipHopSite.com. As for the year this dropped, I'm not sure, but based on when HipHopSite was active and the songs included here, I'm guessing the early 2000s. 

The project is made up of previously released obscure tracks and a handful of tracks that I haven't been able to find elsewhere. The coolest part of the project is that the guys give a little write-up about each track on the inner insert: 

The tracks themselves are pretty cool, a good mix of the braggy and the comedy that Lexicon is known for. It's not their best display obviously, but even minor fans will likely find something to enjoy. 

Peep the download below and to Lexicon...when we getting something new?!?!

DOWNLOAD

James P. Honey & Joel Siméus - Book of Marion (2011)

Since we're running late today, I figured I'd opt for a short post and download. Book of Marion is the vinyl only collaboration between James P. Honey & Joel Siméus. It's one of my personal favorite "abstract" albums, with haunting and melodic production backing dreamy spoken word-esque poems by James.

This album is available for free download from his Bandcamp (and luckily he describes it in more detail than I ever could, seems to be really proud of it...), but each side cuts off about two minutes from the end, so you wind up missing a bit of the last track of each side. This complete version has the tracks split and labeled, in 320 kbps (made by yours truly).

Also, after thinking it over, Trylemma and I have decided that the Wednesday Review / Friday Download schedule is difficult to maintain. New releases ebb and flow, and time constraints can make putting together a thoughtful and worthy tribute to the artists we love every Wednesday difficult at times. So expect more downloads on Wednesdays, although we will still be doing reviews and other special features whenever possible. Peace!

Download

Provost - Refrigerate After Opening (2006)

Today's fossil is Refrigerate After Opening by Provost, formerly of the FreePoets crew alongside Portland's own Peg Leg and Deficit (all three also of Science-Non-Fiction). FreePoets no longer make new music and their albums can no longer be purchased anywhere that I know of, which is really too bad because I've liked everything they've put out and this album is no exception.

Refrigerate After Opening has spacey, melodic yet hard hitting production and Provost's style manages to evoke feelings without falling into that trap of straight up emo. A bit like a more lighthearted take on Oldominion, this album is a catchy little piece of forgotten indie rap history. It's a lot of fun and deserves a spot on your digital shelf.

Short and to the point this Friday, enjoy the weekend!

Download

New Music: Grieves - The Collections of Mr. Nice Guy

So, as fans of Northwest rapper Grieves probably already know, the well renowned musician has spent the last several months dropping occasional tracks as a way to "express both his growth and hunger since releasing Running Wild" (his last full length album). The result is The Collections of Mr. Nice Guy, an EP that takes these singles as well as a few previously unreleased tracks and puts them together as a collection. A new release from Grieves in any form is great news for his hardcore following, considering the two year long period since his last full length offering.

I do want to state at this time that I'm not particularly a fan of Grieves. I actually don't dislike his music, and my hat is off to him for consistently releasing well produced, well written and well conceived songs that run the gamut from catchy to thought provoking. This sounds like an endorsement, and it is. However, my personal observation is that when I hear a track by him I find myself enjoying, I tend to listen through to the end and immediately forget about it. His style doesn't tend to vary much on any given release (especially his work following 88 Keys & Counting), and as he's grown as an artist I find his music has taken on a bit of bland and uninteresting quality. I have the same issue with Atmosphere, I feel like they reached a point where Ant and Slug know exactly what to do to make good songs, and the time and energy they used to spend creating the style in the first place and trying out new things has become unnecessary.

Grieves' music is all good, it's just not really anything to get excited about for me. That said, you guys may have already guessed that I like the weirder stuff, so please don't take my opinion to heart if you've somehow slept on Grieves and this is the first you're hearing of him. He's amazingly talented. I just want it known that I'm coming at this review from a place of some ambivalence. Anyhow.

The Collections of Mr. Nice Guy is still music that I don't find particularly original, but it's definitely worth a listen, and if you like Grieves' work to this point I guarantee you'll love this. The songs are polished, and his lyricism and dry wit are ever present and in top form. Songs like "Man Down featuring Chris Webby" display complex rhyming and a style that would certainly be at home on the radio alongside more well known artists (like Chris Webby lol). Catchy beat as well.

Stylistically this album is a bit closer to what's popular these days than we've heard from him before. There's less of the R & B / soul influence that made up the bulk of Running Wild and a bit more electronica. Lots of auto-tune, some trap drum sounds, and the cadence popularized by Lil Wayne that's popping up all over the place can be heard in a few places here. I guess at this point Grieves is mainstream (not sure what that even means anymore), and he sounds it. I do know he's worked his ass off to get where he is, and for that he has my respect.

So I don't know who gets production credit for any of these tracks, I did try to find out (maybe Grieves himself or Budo). The musicianship is superb as always, with lush and beautiful sounds from the keys, guitars and strings. Songs like "December" and "Caliber" are truly works of art production wise. And while I enjoyed them I did find myself thinking that Grieves could have injected a bit more personality into them somehow, maybe trying out different voices or topics. As it stands, The Collections of Mr. Nice Guy sounds quite a bit like what a lot of people are doing. The upside to that is that at least Grieves does that style well, maybe even better than most.


Get The Collections of Mr. Nice Guy as a digital download from Grieves' Bandcamp here, or pick up a physical (preorders start shipping around 8/27/19) and support the always dope Fifth Element Online here! See you guys Friday!

Devotea - Sonsrayz (2002)

Today's upload is one of my favorite Canadian albums of all time - 2002's "Sonsrayz" by Devotea. Devotea got his start as DJ Ringworm and was the main producer behind the Submerged M.Seas (with rappers Vizion and Kay the Aquanaut.) He released several mixtapes under that name before switching to Devotea. 

His only full length solo album, "Sonsrayz," is quintessential Saskatoon rap. To start off, the production is airy and dreamy while also quirky and offbeat. Devotea helped a young Factor Chandelier get started on both the DJ tip and the producer tip and if you listen to "Sonsrayz," you could easily believe that Factor himself produced it. On the rap side of things, Devotea is definitely influenced by guys like Isosceles and Vizion delivery-wise, but he actually has a slightly crisper flow which makes him sound better in my opinion. Think Self-Help. Content-wise, Devo tackles everything from small city politics to grand scale crises, and, in doing so, manages to balance playfulness and seriousness very well. 

Devotea only ever released this one album, which is a shame as it's an amazing one and, with the eventual success that Factor found, I believe he could have easily made a place for himself in the larger world of indie rap. The download is an old FTD rip that has faded into obscurity. Unfortunately, I don't have any sort of album cover for this (I used a Saskatoon prairie for the photo above lol.) I've seen the CD, but unfortunately do not own it or have scans of the artwork. 

Enjoy! 

DOWNLOAD

New Music: Lyrics Born & Cutso - Rapp Nite

Lyrics Born has always been one of my favorite rappers. His deliveries and overall presence on the mic are truly one of a kind. Unfortunately, over the past handful of years, his releases have been generally below par. Projects like "Real People" and "Quite a Life" had Born focusing on band-driven pop songs. This direction is fine in theory, but thanks to a lack of creativity and some very corny lyrics, the projects ultimately fell flat. Luckily, Cali producer Cutso has teamed up with Lyrics Born for the recently dropped "Rapp Nite" - and it's the best we've heard from Born in years! 

Cutso lays the groundwork with some solid bouncy bassy Bay beats. Lyrics Born responds by flowing for days! Born drops the need to find some grand hook or overtly "conscious" message and things are made better because of it. Hearing Born rap is more than enough! The lyrics do get a bit cringy near the end, which is a slight problem as the project is only seven tracks deep. Overall, however, we're left with a lighthearted, very fun Quannum-worthy rap display from Lyrics Born - something we haven't gotten in a long while.

Stream the album HERE and cop it HERE. 

[Thanks to GarvinIII for hooking Dimxsk up with something off his wantlist.] 

6 Months! Three rare EPs from Ape9, a Knowskills mixtape and a full rip of Crackbeat Society's The Cracker

Ape9 - Astronauts, Humble Gods & Malaki

First things first, we have three EPs from Colorado's Ape9 (aka James Vega). Called Humble Gods, Astronauts and Malaki, they came to me out of order without album art or year released so I don't know much about them. Please do drop a note or comment if you have art or information. According to Trylemma, they were made in high school, and I believe him as we are definitely hearing a younger Ape9 on these tracks. That being said, they're pretty good. Enjoy!

Download

The Motherfucking Jizclot (Knowskills) - 60 Minutes of Hate

Next we have something special, a mixtape curated by Knowskills of Beat Comber (Saskatoon) fame. This contains a wide variety of 90's and indie rap with a clear preference for the more raw and gritty styles (old pre-emo Cage and Third Sight for example). Trylemma found this cassette along with a few more rare joints, and I ripped it. It's a good selection of tracks, mixed well and could definitely serve as a soundtrack for your Summer BBQs, so long as you're friends don't mind listening to someone calling themselves The Motherfucking Jizclot.

Anyway enjoy!

Download

Crackbeat Society - The Cracker

No fan of Canadian rap can be satisfied with their collection without Crackbeat's full length effort The Cracker. Recorded in a dorm room, and consisting of all kinds of weirdos like Josh Martinez, Jesse Dangerously, Kunga219, Gordski and Moves, The Cracker managed to bring together all manner of talent, run with a general theme of humorous mayhem and make it sound dope. Trylemma informs me that a scene rip of this exists, but that it's only 8 tracks. This version is the full* 14 tracks plus outro, this is a rip of my copy of the cassette. Put it on and reflect how far each of these voices have come. A must have for sure.

Download

So it's been a fun half a year, and there's still more to come. I've got several more interesting fossils I've been holding back for the right time, and Trylemma has even more. So keep visiting every Wednesday and Friday for reviews and free music, and thanks again for the interest! Enjoy the summer!

*Disclaimer: The number one smash hit "Who's Tony?", while listed in the liner notes, is regrettably missing from the actual cassette. I know, I almost demanded my money back...

6 Months! Here's Some Rare Music from Edison of Papervehicle, Lewee Regal, Home etc.

This being the 26th week (half a year!) of Underground Fossils, I figure that all bets are off and I can share something that might not fit with our normal routine, but that I believe y'all would enjoy. What I'm offering today is not exactly a release. Rather it's a collection of rare songs I put together documenting some of Edison of Papervehicle's earliest days, along with some talents and voices that I've always really enjoyed.

These songs come from different places, some were on a compilation type thing that I believe was called Kitchen Kuts and others were ripped from streaming sites. They feature Edison not just on production (the man is and was insane behind the boards, check out some of his more recent work if you're inclined to disagree) but rapping as well, something that I'd only ever heard before on his albums with Papervehicle. He's not bad at it, but I guess he decided to concentrate on his production making his vocal tracks a rarity.

We also have on here a rapper / singer / guitarist who goes by Lewee Regal, but is also the lead singer of the folk / punk outfit Get Dead. He's got an awesome voice and he uses it well both singing and rapping. He's got some solo songs on here as well as work with Edison, my personal favorite being what I chose to make the closing track "Debbie", a cynical pseudo-country joint about a bad (meaning goodish) woman. Some of his work on here is punk, some of it's rap. You may know him from his split album 8th World Jamboree with Babelfishh and his features on Visitor's solo album, lost forever when Decorative Stamp's Bandcamp sadly disappeared. Here's a music video of one of his songs. It's interesting for sure:

Home of Papervehicle makes an appearance as well on songs where the artist was labeled "Sutherland Collective" when I found them. The entire album I've put together uses this as the artist name, mostly because Sutherland Collective appeared to encompass all three of the rappers and it made the entire thing fit neatly into a single place on my iTunes.

While I like all kinds of rap, this type of music really appeals to me. These songs are clearly home made, the bitrates jump around and never peak 128 kbps, but they're good songs and having the history of an influential presence in the modern indie world like Edison on record is something I value. None of these songs came with album info, they seemed to be isolated experiments, so putting them together seemed like a good thing to do. Not exactly a fossil, but rare and important all the same.

Happy 6 Months!

We're still accepting requests for Friday, we decided to do another post like our first one with three rarities up for download. What those are could be up to you...

Also BIG UPS to BIG BEAR for sending some Deepcave gems our way!