🐣 R.BLACK — ALIEN MONSTER

⌾ LISTEN TO R.BLACK ALIEN MONSTER ⌾ There's a lot to like about 'Alien Monster' by R.Black. The synths twisting and melding with each other in the background definitely effuse a sense of, well, alien-ness and that's the first thing: this unobtrusive instrumental that, without getting in the way of what Houston-based, Jamaica-born musicmaker is doing with his voice, still conjures this bizarre backdrop of retro UFOs and pixellated, far-off galaxies.

Vocally, and lyrically, 'Alien Monster' is a gem. There's this hushed, rapid rap to begin with – featuring the no-bullshit of "I'm young and reckless / I'll snatch your breakfast" – and later on this slower, playground rhyme kinda rhythm, that kicks off with "Lover not a fighter / not a coward I'm a writer."

With this and other references to the literal craft of rapping, the skill of hopping on the beat, contending with nouns and verbs, R.Black has some originality that makes listening to his bars almost like hearing an alien man from outer space, which he mentions throughout. Combine with prime useage of reverb on some lines, brazen inexplicable yells and yelps for ad-libs, and you get a feel for the unique hype that is at work in 'Alien Monster'.

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• 🔔 Get to R.Black's SoundCloud to hear more (since 'Alien Monster' the tracks have mostly been produced by others and don't have the same soul, personal touch or DIY charm present in this track).

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📠
☟ R.Black Internet Presence ☟
facebook ⚘ soundcloud ⚘ youtube ⚘ instagram ⚘ spotify

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🐣 OKAY(K) — CLEMENTINE(S)

The constant stepping down of the clean electronics of this track, the way these blooping foam spheres of sound tumble almost arrhythmically down endless staircases, how they ping-pong round the infinite confines of an Escher drawing, how like Mario 64's endless staircase there is not a stop to the decided jumble of sounds but it starts again always in the same place down down down and imperceptibly upwards again. 'clementine(s)' is a wonky slice of sound, something that speaks of circles and the always ouroboros of living, created by producer Hirsh and rapper okay(K), whose voice crackles and crumbles throughout, creaking obliviously and with dazed wonder as the world spins and time ticks all around.

Speaking to yes/no via email, okay(K) explained the background of the track. "clementines is about how we go through life in a linear fashion but within this life there is a cyclical dynamic in that we often have the same experiences almost as if it were déjà vu." And so is that non-linear nature bouncing on a foundation of fingerclicks and thudding kicks and clacking abrasive snares and the tick of the metallic timekeeping hi-hats, plasma synth fluttering like a realisation that this, whatever this is, has happened before, the intensity of clarity, the alarm-clock wakeful moments of the day when your head roly-polies at the thought of fate and reincarnation and buzzes with various other ontological wondering.

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• 🔔 This track can be downloaded and streamed variously via your favourite service.

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📠
☟ okay(K) Internet Presence ☟
soundcloud ⚘ twitter ⚘ spotify

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DIAMOND MIND – DRAGON EGG [FREE DOWNLOAD]

I haven't written about anything by a band like this for a while and I'm not sure why. I think it's because, not that it isn't good, but it just seems to fit much better with sunny days and this long approach to summer we call spring. So it's with happiness and hope for the warm weather days to come that I introduce Canadian band Diamond Mind. I was originally going to write about this Edmonton-based band's song 'Better Alone', which is a pretty slice of indie doo-wop flavours with hints of baroque orchestration in its strings and jaunty melodies… but then I heard 'Dragon Egg' and everything changed.

This track isn't very sunny, isn't very spring-themed, but it is instead a galloper of a track – a true sprint through zingy, energetic feelin and expansive guitar sounds that, sure, ok, may summon a little bit of sunshine, but if it were a film it would be more adventure-romance than rom-com – does that make sense? The sunshine is less a static thing and much more a thing that's almost followed, a hanging beacon in a sky above endless roads and exciting potential.

Well, a dragon egg is quite an exciting thing I suppose. And if this song is supposed to be an illustration of that fact, well, then it's done its job pretty much perfectly. It was the undeniably experimental intro that first grabbed me: frenetic drums and dramatic twists between full-noise and no-noise and chipmunked vocals thrown into the equation – it's full of wonder as to what's gonna come next. A dynamic shift, and we count into the lo-fi flutter of gleaming guitars – an ethereal riff. Smooth silky vocals, with a distinctive lilt, seem calm yet urgent as guitar chords stab and the drums judder excitedly, bass providing slices of groove beneath it all. A really super cool song that I can't get enough of right now. Wahoo!

And, getting outside of this song's clarion brilliance, it shows the brilliance of the band, able to doo-wop in coastal-pop fashion like anybody's business one minute – singing this indie rollicker about a dragon egg the next. I'm genuinely curious to see where they go next – is there an album or something or an EP? I don't know.

• And it's a free download, do you want anything else with that? Biscuits? Complimentary hot towel? Fries?

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Listen to Diamond Mind on SoundCloud

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