Underground Fossils was an indie rap focused blog run by myself (Dimxsk) and by Trylemma, who passed August 3rd, 2024 from liver failure of unknown origin at the age of 34. We mostly posted week or twice weekly, the bulk of which were rare rips we made, found on old blogs, he acquired through his insanely broad connection to the scene, etc. We did all we could to make sure we didn't post stuff that (1) You could still reasonably buy from the artist directly, (2) You could reasonably buy secondhand for cheap, (3) You could download easily elsewhere, (4) The artist(s) asked us not to for any reason.
Being involved in this blog was some of the most fun I ever had, even if at times it was time consuming, challenging or intimidating (having a readership). It was the product of one of the best friendships I've ever had. If I could say one last thing, it's to encourage all of you: if you have the time and desire, make your own UGF. Find a friend who loves this shit like you do and build it together. It will bring you incredible joy, enhance your connection to this amazing community, and change your life in unexpected and exciting ways. I know it did mine. Love you all!
20 years ago, the GOAT producer Factor Chandelier, comin' straight outta Saskatoon, dropped his first official solo album, "Time Invested." Now, 20 years later, we finally get the sequel!
"Time Invested II" not only celebrates Factor's longevity in the game, as well as his birthday (the date on which the original and sequel dropped,) but also very successfully re-taps into the atmospheric folky prairie-hop that ran through the original (which a healthy dose of synths to update things.)
On vocals, Factor calls upon some MCs who appeared on the original - Kirby Dominant, Sunspot Jonz, Kay The Aquanaut, Eligh, and Moka Only - as well as voices that have come to become Factor staples - Awol One, Ceschi, Def3, Myka 9.
Everything about "Time Invested II" flows together so smoothly and both takes you back to the good ol days of 2000s underground rap while also continually proving how forward-thinking Factor is as an artist. Pay what you want for it below!
Hello, hello and Happy New Year! As far as new music goes, I'm currently digesting new albums from the likes of Nickels Hawkeye, A-Plus of Hiero, The Cloaks, Telephone Switches/Moka Only, Thorts, Calm, Zoen, Scatterbrain, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Claud Six, and others. Today, however, I thought I'd share Fake Four's new subscription program - The Fourager's Club.
For a yearly fee paid via Bandcamp, you can join the dopeass new Fake Four Fourager's Club. Every month you'll get new exclusive tunes from Ceschi and a guest (this month's guest is Gregory Pepper.) You also get 10% off all merch that Fake Four puts out. At slightly higher tiers, you'll get free merch such as CDs, pins, tote bags, books, and more. At the highest tier, you get an exclusive lathe vinyl + an entry into a monthly auction where you could win exclusive rare vinyl. And the best part? The top level is only $100.00 USD for the entire year. That's a great price imo for exclusive monthly music, new merch, and exclusive vinyl (including shipping!)
On top of that, all subscribers get an immediate download of a demo version (with B-Sides) of Ceschi's new album, "This Guitar Was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives" as well as an immediate download of a new REMASTERED version of Ceschi's "Forgotten Forever!"
It's crazy to think, but it's been nearly nine years since Oldominion/Grayskul head Onry Ozzborn and super-producer Zavala last formed the Dark Time Sunshine train and gifted us an album (that was 2012's "ANX" if you're keeping score.) Suffice to say, a lot has changed since then - for both the world and the guys themselves. We of course now live in a fully postmodern planet with meme presidents and social distancing galore. Meanwhile, Onry has dealt with his daughter's diagnosis and eventual beating of cancer. I've always found that Dark Time Sunshine projects do a wonderful job in letting the listener transcend whatever state he/she happens to be in at the moment - so now seems like about the perfect time for another go round. Here's an early track by track review of Dark Time Sunshine's new album, "LORE."
1. Lore (Feat. Ceschi): It's become a tradition for Fake Four head honcho Ceschi Ramos to open up Dark Time Sunshine albums. Unlike previous outings, however, Onry accompanies him on mic duties and really sets a sort of 'triumphant return' type mood in proclaiming, "We bringing gully back/We bringing smilin' back, we bringing happy back/We bringing laughing and living a little back/But most of all, we bringing love back, and that's facts." Zavala provides a pretty bare-boned drum track for the guys to flex on, which works pretty well, though I do miss the big Zavala intros that previous DTS albums gave us...
2. Ritalin: Now here's that Zavala production! Multi-layered, atmospheric bliss from the Chicago producer that rarely fails to impress. The song's content, which has been a theme throughout a lot of Onry's work, tackles the struggle of dealing with mental issues ("I am an intricate doubter about myself") while at the same time trying to seek out basic joys in life. Onry also switches up the flows here a bit, giving us a bit of chopping, and gives us our fair dose of bars as well, "FML, FML/Rid myself of these blues like I'm Gargamel."
3. 7 Knots: Things get even deeper lyrically at this point in this ode to learning from the past and loving those close to oneself. Onry has a great way of giving us wordplay that is neither cheap nor too abstract, "I've decided to limbo beneath my own personal purgatory/Although my vantage point at that moment was rock bottom/It taught me how to morph colors and become autumn." The moody earworm electronics from Zavala, especially in the long outro, are gold as well.
4. The Rite Kids (Feat. R.A.P. Ferreira & Homeboy Sandman): Possibly my favorite track on the entire album (which is saying a lot.) Onry enlists RAP Ferreira and Homeboy Sandman, over some really cool retro synths, for his ode to the promising outcast and weirdo kids, with such unique quirks as "Separating they food and never letting it touch before it enters the tummy." The song hits hard especially as Onry has been rapping since the mid-90s, always taking fresh left-field approaches to music-making, and has managed to really carve his own lane despite the fact that...yes, believe it or not kids...indie rap wasn't always cool. "The wrong kids have been always the rite kids, the bright kids." Both guests fully deliver as well. Sandman notes, "Rite kids aren't part of the plan...but plans make God laugh," and Ferreira really ends up being the star of the show, "I write this for the chosen few/Who were told as children to speak when spoken to, and then were never spoken to." Having each rapper come in on the hook is genius too.
5. Star Scream: Here we have a mellowed out bouncy Zavala production, with Onry riding it perfectly. The joint is a humorous take on the constant journey of following fame, money, and trends, "These days everything/Is captured on a screen/Then captioned, turned into a meme." I especially appreciate the funky keys over the hook (hopefully an instrumental version of the album drops soon.)
6. Poor Pavel (Feat. Hail Mary Mallon): So not only are we getting the Onry + Zavala combo, we're getting the Rob Sonic + Aesop Rock combo as well?!? Yes, please. Over a pretty unique jazzy bassy instrumental, our hosts discuss, I believe (things can get murky when these 3 are involved lol,) the daily struggle of living up to one's promise or worth. Rob and Aesop of course bring their A-games. I felt Aesop when he said, "If I'm horizontal, eight hours on a thousand nails/Waking up is more than putting piss into the howling gales."
7. Hell Nah: On this personal track, Onry addresses using others' overcoming of obstacles as his own large inspiration in doing the same. While I'm not 100% sure, and don't want to assume, who the subjects of the song exactly are, it's clear that those close to Onry have made serious moves through the muck and grime in their lives, and it's made an impression on him. "After meandering in and out of those bubbles/Them rubber glovies were tossed away with the muzzles/I snipped your feeding tube in half and sat there puzzled...you made it through." The backing minimal melodic beat does its job in really letting Onry speak his mind.
8. Look At Her Go: Personally speaking, this is a slightly low point on the album (but luckily the only low point.) On it, Onry talks to a special girl in his life with some vivid imagery, "Your voice - a pocket of diamonds inside my satchel/Your smile - a fanny pack of golden ice capsules," which is nothing to complain about. Musically, however, the playful instrumental and sample choices didn't really work for me. The hook was a bit clunky as well. Hopefully others will dig it more than I did.
9. Familiars: Back on track, we're given a darker moodier intro here before things lead into a drum heavy track that is reminiscent of something off of DTS' 2010 album, "Vessel." The content is slightly vague, but I believe the song is concerned with the brute power of dealing with life hindrances, both physical and otherwise, "All of your arteries are opening/Channeling electricity to these probe machines/It's quite deafening/Mute button on lapse, quite threatening." The long Zavala outro makes everything hit that much more.
10. Ayemen: As we near the end of things, we're given some classic vibrant and illustrious Zavala synths and, being a longtime Onry fan I can say, some real OG Onry Ozzborn deliveries. Onry celebrates his daughter's overcoming of cancer, which has given him a new fresh outlook on life, "Broken before, but never again....used to try, just to live but now I won't die." The song really elevates above an already elevated album and gives us a peek into how far Onry and his fam have really come over the past years.
11. Better Off: As a parting gift, Zavala blesses us with a really colorful soulful instrumental as an outro, with Onry giving us some parting introspective words, "All of your flowers before you perish friends/It's always perfect at first, what about when it ends?/Are you able to make amends or does ego take over empathy and leave us like we hangmen?" Because the album has been a very personal journey for Onry, the raps here, and throughout the album, are able to dispense some words of wisdom without ever getting too preachy, which is something not always easy to achieve. A great closer for a great project.
Overall, "LORE" is not only a welcomed return for Dark Time Sunshine, but also a near-necessary body of therapeutic work that a year like 2021 can absolutely put to use. Zavala's production and Onry's rhymes hit all the senses and provide more than one reason to be optimistic for the future. For those who enjoy either artist, references to Yorgos Lanthimos films/Game of Thrones/Royce Da 5'9/X-Men/Walter Cronkite, or good music in general - be sure to give this a listen!
"LORE" drops via Fake Four Inc. on Thursday, February 4th. You can pre-order your digital copy or physical version HERE. Also peep the music videos for "Familiars" and "7 Knots / Ayemen" below!
Today I'd like to share a list/playlist made by an RYM buddy of mine, BrothermanTrill. The list tracks the history and current state of so-called Canadian "Prairie Rap," a movement best known for giving us the likes of Side Road Records, Peanuts and Corn Records, and Clothes Horse Records. BrothermanTrill identifies key releases, provides historical context via interviews and reviews, and provides a Youtube playlist consisting of songs from the projects he covers (the playlist includes some rare tracks!) If you're at all interested in the sub-genre, be sure to give it a peep HERE.
In related Prairie Rap news, the great Factor Chandelier recently had his basement flood, causing him to lose a portion of his equipment. Consider helping him out by copping some of his music on the Fake Four or Factor Chandelier Bandcamp pages. Fake Four put together a great package bundle consisting of, at least, 12 Factor-produced CDs for only 50 bucks. Check it HERE.
