SAINT PEPSI UNHAPPY

Here is a song that I was supposed to write about like last week but Saint Pepsi (aka Ryan DeRobertis) decided to take it down soon after he'd put it up. It's called 'Unhappy' and I think must refer to end of summer. That's an assumption based both on the time of year it is currently - the end of summer - and the fact that the main hooks in his song come from an altered sample of a song called 'The Summer Ends' by an emo (yeah emo) band called American Football, who were around from 1997-2000.

And well well well. Firstly, how genuine to have sampled a song that isn't a hot pop hit, something of the moment, but something that was probably totally in Saint Pepsi's ears at some point or another in his life. That's a really nice touch. And from that you can I suppose infer that he's completely making the music that he wants to make, with no constraints, no box, no label (certainly not that of vaporwave), instead going totally on what he wants to do.

In this instance, the slow guitar arpeggios and unassuming percussion in the original become faster and get summarily glitched-out, along with vocals that are now nicely chipmunked, but not in a bad way - high vocals can of course go one of two ways, and this one has come out ok.

Alongside the magic of this sample - the strange nostalgia from a song I've never heard from a band I never knew effusing from its now-altered state - there's now chunks of smooth bass and a hip hop/I-guess-trap beat, in which much revelry seems to be had with producing joyful flourishes on the snare and hi-hat, making it a very energetic beat indeed. Some synth finds its way in there somehow, after the midsection of the song.

On the surface of things, setting a sample of an emo song to a down-south-flavoured hip hop beat is theoretical madness. Imagine that working. Well, it has, in this instance. It's worked very well. It's a multicoloured shower of candy, trap turned on its head, emo's frown turned upside down - yet in the midst of this subversion, there is emotion. Whether it's happy or sad is up to how you're hearing it, I suppose.

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SCRUFIZZER FIZZY FLOW // RAP RAVE // KICK IT

Here's something pretty damn cool. It's grime! Hooray. Imagine hearing good grime music again... well, here it is. Someone who isn't, as one astute YouTube commenter put it, "just chatting shit slowly over a beat" but introducing himself as a contender in today's world of grime with an extreme flow. A 'Fizzy Flow', just like the song says. Yeah it's Scrufizzer, how did you know?

I first heard him on the remix that he worked on with Angel Haze of the latter's track 'Werkin Girls' - I was impressed with his impeccable, machine-gun-fast flow, and also impressed that it had reached the attention of Haze all the way in the USA. If you haven't heard it, you probably should. I heard his unrelenting voice spitting effortlessly, almost like a young Dizzee Rascal, and was pretty much bowled over. Unlike Dizzee, however, Scrufizzer is from West London, not typically known for its outpourings into the world of grime. Scrufizzer has impressed a lot of people, not least Kendrick Lamar (<3) whom he opened for across many of his UK tour dates.

His first single, 'Rap Rave', was released by Ministry of Sound in January this year and is a loud explosion of a song. It oozes dirty distorted storms of synth and bass as well as this beat that's heavy and menacing.

It has this nice chorus refrain that's more of a true statement than a lyric: "Cause I when I rap / I make you rave" - pretty much, right? Also, the song is pretty much a rap rave. Despite the heightened attitude on this one - perhaps it's cause he's actually making space to let the music's production speak for itself without him - he remains modest, but passive-aggressively so: "I never said I was the best / the fans made their own assumption". Fair point, no? Grime typically likes to include a little bit of humour as well, so the polite advice, "You - should - stop" is a silly cuss that only English hip hop could muster.

But it's 2011's 'Fizzy Flow' that actually shows off his distinctively fast spitting style, however. Yes, whatever, it's two years old, blah blah blaaahh.

Just listen to him go. Endless rhymes in a stupidly fast barrage of bars - seems even as if he's probably more comfortable spitting faster than he is at a slower pace. That's just what I reckon though. But wow. I mean, often you can't really hear what he's even saying but I'm definitely sure that there are English words and sentences in there. One that stuck out was, "I will crush you / something like an an Irn-Bru can" - what a reference. Irn-Bru, by the way if you didn't know, is a Scottish fizzy drink that tastes of... I don't know.

Again, in true grime fashion, the humour of the scene comes to the fore in the shape of the oddball chorus in 'Fizzy Flow'. The music takes on a more lighthearted, even circus-like, vibe. It's good to know that someone genuinely talented in his field is getting the attention he deserves. Yes indeedy, his even more recent song, called 'Kick It' was released at the end of August.

Again, it seems as if the production takes a front seat whilst Fizzer himself is in the background. The trademark "fizzy flow" has been replaced by quite a slow tempo rap, in comparison to his regular sonic-speed spitting. But this is a party song, really, not one for showcasing the rap itself, but for showcasing the rapper in a fun-filled party environment - skankin' all over the shop an' that. But that's fine. Cause everyone needs a song like that. And it's not too shabby either. Of course, this shift in dynamic brought a bit of hating but Fizzer replied himself to these comments on YouTube:

i didn't sell out .. i just done 'grime legends on sbtv & i got a part 2 coming out in 2 weeks' you lot must have lost ur mind #fizzyflow

So there. Anyway, this guy is one to watch. He's up-and-coming, that's for sure, but where he will end up in a year's time will be interesting to see. Whether he will do the Wiley-style party anthems every summer or stay at least a little more "legitimate" in the sense of NOT letting the production, and inevitable female-voiced choruses, get the limelight instead of his own actual talent. But what do I know.

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LAZY INTERVIEW #12: CORY JREAMZ

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← #11: YOSI HORIKAWA #13: THE ORWELLS →

Already making waves, having been featured on websites much more prestigious, desirable and professional than mine, and also played by UK rapper/poet/MC/DJ Scroobius Pip on his XFM (that's a UK radio station btw guys) show - Beatdown, every Sunday 12am to 1am - and also by Lily Mercer on her Rinse FM show (Mondays, 1am to 3am) - or at least, Cory Jreamz thinks she did.

Yes, his name is Cory Jreamz and he is a rapper from Houston, Texas. I've been following his progress since he released his EP, Vague Current Vivid Fated, last year - it was a pretty leftfield venture out into the world of rap, draped with all the frustrations of being 18, which Jreamz was at the time. Next, this year, we heard 'Howl', a distorted mass of noise tied up with a spoken word diatribe. It comes from his upcoming album, The Lonely Painter, scheduled for release later this year.

Anyway, as you can probably tell Cory Jreamz is the latest of the YES/NO Lazy Interview Q&A. If it's ok with you, you can read it below and find out a little bit more about this up-and-coming rapman.

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Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do?
　My name is Cory Jreamz, from Houston, Texas. I make music.

Why did you decide to start creating music?
　It came from me writing poetry. Needing a way to express myself. I'm a fairly quiet person so music gives me my voice. People always wonder why I'm quiet sometimes, it's because I'm writing the songs in my head haha. I have a lot to say.

How would you describe your sound? What makes you and your style stand out?
　I don't think I could describe my sound. Each song sounds really different. Charisma, aggression, teen Angst ha it's a lot of things. What makes me stand out is that you can't compare my sound to anyone's. It's just Cory Jreamz.

Is there a perfect time and place for listening to your music?
　At night while driving around it sounds amazing. Driving really fast on the freeway it sounds pretty cool. I wouldn't listen to it in the morning though. Morning is more fit for folk Joni Mitchell type of vibes. Rap would be hard on the mind in the morning.

What inspires you most when writing a song?
　Anything going on in my life. Anything someone said to me. People, places, many things. I'm inspired by everything I encounter in one way or another. Movies also. I got inspired to do the the first half of the intro to my album while watching the film The Tree Of Life. 'Swim' was also inspired by someone asking me did I know how to swim or ride a bike. I mean, you might even be inspiration for something. I pretty much get inspired by 100% of things I encounter.

What is your most memorable musical experience?
　Passing out my CD's at school my junior or senior year I think. I was passing it out to everyone in the class. I ended up handing one to a girl in my class, and she broke it in half right in front of my face. I'll never forget that moment, I still have the CD actually. I decided I will never quit making music at that point. Keeps me humble.

What are your favourite three songs at the moment?
　MGMT - Your Life Is A Lie
　M83 - Your Tears Are Becoming My Sea
　Waka Flocka Flame - 50K Remix

Who do you most admire in the music world?
　Pink Floyd. Greatest band ever in my opinion. From taking risks with their album covers to having flying pigs at their shows. Wow. I also admire David Bowie in certain ways. I really admired what he did with the Ziggy Stardust stages of his career. It was fresh. I think it's cool when artists come up with different personas, characters of their self. That's what made me fall in love with how Nicki Minaj or Eminem have the weird voices they do when they rap. I love it.

In your opinion, what is the future of music?
　I think everything will eventually be digital. CD's will stop being sold in stores etc. I feel like some new genre or sound will come and takeover also. Sort of like what Hip-Hop did. Just a prediction. Who really knows though?

What's the future of your music - what do you hope to do next?
　Release this album in October first of all haha. After that the focus will be on making my first show happen. Which will be in London of course. I'm aiming for December or January.

What, aside from music, is most important to you?
　Family, Friends, Film. I'm really into movies. I want to further enhance my screenwriting skills eventually. And then move to directing. So at least by 24 or 25 I could be directing and writing the scripts for all my videos.

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There you go. 11 questions asked, 11 questions answered. It's clear that there's a lot of ambition here - a mix of the charisma and teen angst he mentions above - and that's definitely not a bad thing. In fact, half of making music is having the guts to actually DO it in the first place and for Cory's particular style of music - alternative rap, I guess, but not like anything really - it's a really brave step.

With that in mind, I'm looking forward to see how The Lonely Painter will turn out. 'Howl' was wildly different to anything on Vague Current Vivid Fated, so the whole album has the potential to be a polarising experience - not just between the songs themselves, but for the audience. However, I'm pretty sure that Cory isn't afraid to create something that isn't just going to turn heads but also spark a very different reaction depending on who's listening.

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THE ORWELLS LIVE @ MADAME JOJO'S

Well. Last night I went to see The Orwells live at Madame JoJo's, a venue in Soho, London. There were actually three bands playing. I didn't see the last band (whoops/oh well) because, well, The Orwells were quite good and we decided to leave on a high. Which is always a good thing, I think. Judge for yourselves though.

The first band that played were called Polterghost - a London post-punky trio. Each track had a similar vibe, and that was Nirvana-esque riffs that oozed grunge, some shreddy guitar solos dotted here and there, alongside palm-muted guitars with some high-pitched vocals - almost a little like Smashing Pumpkings. The drums pounded out the rhythm. Perhaps a little "teen" sounding for my liking, and not a commanding stage presence, but nice enough. Their track 'Holy Smoke' should give you a good idea of their sound.

But then The Orwells bowled onstage. Not only did they move around as if completely possessed by the music they were playing, but they played the music in a ballsy, aggressive way. Lead-vocalist Mario Cuomo towered over his bandmates, looking almost too big for the stage, in cream skinny jeans, a red Chicago Bulls vest and sporting a luscious mop of wavy blonde hair that he used to his advantage the whole time: playing with it, letting it cover his face, whipping it around. Oddly sexual.

They opened with 'Mallrats', which set the tone for the rest of the show: its maddening yet tongue-in-cheek "lalalalala" screamed out alongside crushing distortion and crashing drums. They went onto smash through their set, going through the addictive 'Other Voices' and stopping by for slow-dance numbers 'Blood Bubbles' and 'Halloween All Year', yet with the wholly crazed vocals from Cuomo still on top form. My friend suggested that he looked like he needed an exorcism, and I said that playing live probably was the exorcism. However, I wholly doubt there's anything like that needed. I mean, in some ways, yeah he was going crazy - falling offstage at one point and generally screaming out the lyrics with a hardcore rockabilly drawl as if his life depended on it. It's just angry stuff - and I loved it.

Of course, they played recent hit 'Who Needs You' from their new EP of the same name - it sounds even better live. They also went through a perhaps extended version of their psychedelic song 'Head', which in its second half repeats the same majorly distorted riff over and over - at this point they were pretty much all in a frenzy onstage. It's good to see that kind of thing. People getting into their music, I mean. What better way to show that your music's likeable by liking playing it so much that it makes you go into a bit of a trance? Mm-hm.

They ended with a cover of The Stooges' 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' - it was a raucous affair. Truly raucous. Raunchy. The lyrics were roared out, the guitars totally abused - huge noise. I suppose you could equate it to their performance of the same song at another place, but the stage was smaller at Madame JoJo's; maybe they felt claustrophobic or something, because they seemed to be even more mental.

Overall, what more can I say? I suppose that it was really good is a start. It WAS damn good. I thought the recordings were good enough, but the energy that they drew from playing live to people in a room is clearly something that can't be captured in essence. Also, to see them like actually playing was amazing.

They had a very punk dynamic, the bassist Grant Brinner grooving modestly to the rhythm and at one point taking the cord out of guitarist Matt O'Keefe's microphone, who later knelt on the floor and pulled the mic stand down to him, relentless drumming from Henry Brinner, frenzied bent-double playing from other guitarist Dominic Corso, and general madness from Mario Cuomo. He stood out, dancing, pulling at his clothes, moonwalking (probably?) at one point, and as I said earlier, falling off the stage, then falling off the stage again trying to pull himself back onto it. They all scream pent-up aggression and youthful frustration - a feeling that's easy to summon up in yourself after seeing these guys freak out so much themselves. Basically really fun to watch. And really nice to have seen them at such a small intimate venue, cause I think they're only gonna get bigger from here on in.

Afterwards we were so punk, threw straws around in McDonald's, got the guy who served us to give us a free cheeseburger each, and I sold two cigarettes for £5. Imagine that. Our slowly diminishing yet endless youth. Go see The Orwells if you get a chance - you won't regret it.

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ARCADE FIRE FEAT DAVID BOWIE REFLEKTOR

So much hyped up conjecture surrounding this song. It is an Arcade Fire mythos. Yes, we can go through the exciting tales of the is-this-or-is-this-not-the-artwork collection, or better yet, we can regale you with the Legend of The Leak - in which this song is leaked online to a chorus of frantically typing keyboards glazed with excited sweat - or the Ballad of James Murphy, in which saves the world hourly with indie-tinged disco production; hey, and what about that thing with David Bowie possibly singing on this track? That's the ghost story part. Sometimes, late at night, you can hear Bowie's spacey vocals caressing the very air itself: "Just a reflection, of a reflection, of a reflection, of a reflection". Spooky stuff innit. Worthy of rumour.

So anyway, to be fair, if indeed Bowie does feature on this song, called 'Reflektor', that's pretty cool. I like that. There's also a girl singing in French at some points - and I like French, too. But what first struck me about this song wasn't all these additional niceties, nor the fact that Arcade Fire are proverbially "back"; no, it was merely a case of that old-fashioned thing of a song just sounding good. I guess though, in a way, that has something to do with the fact that Mr LCD Soundsystem, J. Murphy himself is producing the upcoming Arcade Fire album, also titled Reflektor. Maybe that's why it sounds so nice. At the very start, when everything is stripped back, and all you can hear are the disco-infused beats, the feet-possessing bongo taps and lead-me-to-the-dancefloor octave-skipping bass, it could be an LCD song. Do you not think?

It oozes a glam kinda menacing funk disco flavour, old-school strings gracing the track every now and again. Guitar chords whisper in and out aiding the progressive nature of the song, a brass section helping to give it the glitz of multi-coloured flashing dancefloors and roller-discos and stuff like that. The beat gets busier with the hi-hat getting more fidgety, and the true nature of emotional disco comes to light with tense-moment strings and dramatic piano chord progressions. It slowly becomes quite an epic song.

Let's just say it's down to all elements involved. We can't say it's all down to Mr Murphy - that would just be unfair. However, I suppose you can say that he might've pinned down the disco sound. Who can say? Who knows. Anyone can progenerate conjecture till the cows come home, you know what I mean? Let's just say: it's a good song. Let's leave it at that and wait till the album is on its way out. Till then, I will not be keeping up with the gossip, I'm afraid. It was supposed to be out tomorrow but now everyone's heard it. C'est ça.

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