QNC - For Da’ Love & Hype, Fresh, Live feat. Aim
taken from Duo Dynamic (Grand Central, 2005)

Grand Central was at one stage the darling of the UK beats/hip hop scene. Founded in ‘95 by Mark Rae, a DJ/producer based in Manchester, it went on to unprecedented successes with acts such as Rae’s own Rae & Christian and Aim (I’m gonna have to do a post on this guy soon). Grand Central was in many ways a more palatable and accessible version of Ninja Tune: the label was still left of centre and would have been considered ‘cool’ by both underground and mainstream audiences, but it lacked the edginess of arguably the most successful ‘beats’ outfit that the UK has ever seen. As a result, their discography is a little variable in quality with some excellent releases and others that feel tired, obvious and in the worst of cases, downright dull. Still, they were a welcome presence within British music and it’s a shame that the label is now defunct due to issues relating to unpaid royalties and a few other legal bits and pieces that sent it into liquidation towards the end of last year.

QNC first came to my attention on Aim’s ‘Cold Water Music’ and Rae & Christian’s ‘Northern Sulphuric Soul’, both released in the latter stages of the ’90s. They posted a couple of guest appearances on these works and impressed me enough to keep an eye out for any full length release that they may put together in the future. Sure enough, in 2005 they dropped their first and only album entitled ‘Duo Dynamic’ which is an enjoyable affair that also features some guest spots from a couple of big hitters in the shape of M.O.P. and Camp Lo. Although the album is short at twelve tracks, there really isn’t much filler here and it goes down in my book as a little known work that I know most serious fans of the genre will appreciate.

Standouts for me are the laid back groove of ‘For Da’ Love’ with a pleasingly melodic piano sample, tidy drum track and Guru chorus adlibs; ‘Hype, Fresh, Live’ featuring some upbeat, horn-based production by Aim which bumps along with substance and energy and I also like ‘Polaroid Dimepiece’ that sees Easy Mo Bee flipping Bob James’ often sampled drums and bells break from ‘Take Me To The Mardi Gras’ (most famously used on Run D.M.C.’s ‘Peter Piper’). This last track is a demonstration of the fact that QNC are clearly steeped in the history of the genre and there is a pervading sense with ‘Duo Dynamic’ that they are trying to stay true to hip hop’s essence whilst creating a clean and contemporary audio aesthetic. For the most part they achieve this goal admirably, but my criticism of the album would lie in the fact that although it’ll get your head noddin’, it does feel a little flat in places and I would suggest that replay value is not at its greatest here. Still, I’ll take what I can get from rap’s relatively dire landscape over the last decade or so…

I really didn’t know very much about the crew until a little research today, but coincidentally I was looking at J.V.C. Force’s ‘Doin’ Damage’ reissue only this afternoon whilst on a short break back in London and as it turns out, Curt Cazal used to be a member. I’m surprised at this connection, as I would have perhaps expected Curt to go on to slightly wider fame simply off the back of ‘Strong Island’ alone, but it seems that it did not propel him to the stardom that perhaps fans would have expected all the way back in ‘88. Given this fact, it is similarly surprising that he has managed to release a record seventeen years later that feels genuinely contemporary. This isn’t their only claim to fame either, posting a track on the second D & D Studios compilation album and I believe that they even scored a Jay Z collaboration towards the end of the ’90s. The conclusion from my brief meanderings through these various bits and pieces of information is that Q-Ball and Curt Cazal seem to be just the type of guys who have kept a relatively low profile in the game despite a presence that has spanned a period of time that would put most of today’s more prominent artists to shame. Good work fellas.

Let’s wrap this one up. ‘Duo Dynamic’ is by no means a brilliant album, but it has enough to keep long term fans of the genre happy. The beats are good, the rapping is enjoyable and the overall feel of the album is admirable, but it ain’t going to blow your socks off. However, it’s worth a purchase both for the music and the feeling that you are paying your respects to a couple of figures who have just got their heads down and got on with it over the last twenty years, a far cry from the flash in the pan wonders that have come to dominate hip hop during the same period of time: a dynamic duo indeed.

A.D.O.R. - Enter The Center (Pete Rock Mix), Enter The Center (DNA Mix) & Enter The Center (BaBanzi Mix)
taken from Enter The Center 12” (Tru Reign/Anansi, 1997)

Apologies for the lack of posts over the last week or so. A heavy workload and a bank holiday weekend have occupied my time admirably for the last six days and the unfortunate victim of aforementioned work/frivolities has been the blog. Anyway, the bank holiday is over, it’s the half term beak and so I’ve got some time on my hands again: let’s get into it.

The problem with collecting vinyl singles is that they don’t exactly offer terrific value for money. Of course, you get a product which has many benefits over other formats, and I am certainly not denying the appeal of vinyl, but when you can quite easily pay £5 - £10 on any one single purchase then the cost per track is extortionate when compared to that of a whole album. On top of this, it was pretty much a general rule for me that although extra cuts on top of the a-side were always enjoyable, they were essentially superfluous and there would always be one standout track that overshadowed the others. At a guess, I would estimate that well over half of my vinyl collection is occupied by records that may have been played hundreds of times on one side and as little as once on the other. Unfortunately, penny pinching and vinyl collecting are not two activities that sit well together.

So what has this got to do with this A.D.O.R. 12” released in 1997? When I got a hold of this particular slab of vinyl, I didn’t really even know who A.D.O.R. was, and was lead to this release for one reason only: there’s a Pete Rock beat on here. An enjoyable mid-tempo banger with signature Soul Brother horns, filtered guitar sample and crispy drum hits, the lead single was no disappointment and I was pleased that my random wanderings through EBay had delivered something of genuine quality. What is so impressive about this 12” though is that included are two other mixes of the song that easily stand their ground against Pete’s contribution, and in fact, I have never been able to make a definitive decision as to my favourite as each different version is truly excellent.

The DNA Productions (I have no idea who they are either) mix feels more upbeat than the Pete Rock joint and there are several things that I love about this track. The use of sleighbells never fails to capture my interest, and they work well here, shimmering over the bouncy bassline below to produce the most club friendly mix of ‘Enter The Center’. Listen out for my favourite moment which occurs around the 1.05 mark as the synth string loop cuts out, bassline warbles for a half bar on its own only for the sleighbells and drums to be thrown back into the mix: it’s so simple, but it’s devastatingly effective.

Finally we come to the ‘BaBanzi’ mix produced by Willie Gunz, a relatively little known figure who seems to have only put together a handful of production credits including a cut or two on A.D.O.R.’s full length album as well as posting a track on the YGz’s ‘Street Nigga’ release in ‘93 and with Supreme NTM towards the end of the same decade. This is a shame as this mix demonstrates his ability behind the boards and if push came to shove, this would be the version I would favour if I had to pick one over the others. Whereas both the Pete Rock and DNA mixes feel quite light and airy, Gunz flips the script with his version to produce a much more sinister and brooding soundscape. The haunting piano loop works exceptionally well when matched with the heavy drum track, and the chorus vocal loop that also appears in Rock’s version feels eerier and more threatening in this context. This is one of those cuts that captures that dark, gritty boom bap sound with great effect and it feels almost epic in its scope: it’s a serious banger that will have you nodding your head again and again.

Lyrically, A.D.O.R. has always been one of those cats who I feel a little lukewarm about. I think he does a good job of combining a decent flow with engaging content, but his style is by no means breathtaking and the delivery here is enjoyable but relatively forgettable. The reason why this 12” is so successful is that each mix puts a different spin on the vocal performance: it feels like A.D.O.R.’s words were meant to go with each beat individually rather than simply being laid over three random pieces of production. So often when you hear a remix of a track there remains a sense that the vocals don’t quite fit, but with ‘Enter The Center’ each track has its own clear sense of identity, working with the MC’s performance on the mic to create three coherent and cohesive pieces of music in their own right.

I don’t really know what happened with A.D.O.R.’s ‘Shock Frequency’ release as there seem to have been a few different versions that made it to the shelves. Although they are all basically the same, I know that no single edition contains all three of these mixes so if you already have the album then be sure to pick up the version(s) that you may be missing as each one brings something different to the table. This is one of only a handful of 12′’s from my collection that must have suffered from equal wear on both sides, and is still a release that is able to divide my own opinion as to my favourite five or so years after I bought it: hit the link, indulge in some quality hip hop and see which is yours.

Abdominal & DJ Fase: A Tale Of Two Bitties & Sewmehnee (Times Fly)
taken from Flowtation Device (PIAS, 2004)

Although groups like J5 and Ugly Duckling often come under fire as a result of their soft image and clear audience accessibility, I’m not ashamed to admit that I like both of them, albeit in small doses. OK, so their music isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire, but it is good, clean hip hop that effectively draws on the past and incorporates it into their upbeat party aesthetic without too many cringe-worthy moments and with the undeniable ability to put a shuffle in your step and a smile across your face (come on, admit it). Abdominal and DJ Fase, despite lacking the commercial successes of the aforementioned crews, clearly embrace a similar ethos and I would argue deliver it with just as much style and perhaps a little more substance than either J5 or Ugly Duckling on their debut release, ‘Flowtation Device’.

I first came across the duo during my first year of university when I heard ‘Fly Antics’ on the compilation album put together by the legendary London hip hop night ‘Scratch’. I instantly liked its incorporation of well-delivered rhymes, beats, scratch sections and beatbox breaks, and the track became a relatively widely known cut despite Abdominal and Fase’s lack of reputation at this stage. I don’t quite know what happened in the intervening five years between this and the album’s release, but I assume that the same old industry issues may have gotten in the way (or perhaps they just really didn’t want to rush it). Around the same time, Abdominal began teaming up with Brighton’s DJ Format, and they toured relatively extensively across the UK in the lead up to Format’s own debut LP, ‘Music For The Mature B-Boy’. Their live show was excellent: filled with energy and with the clear intent to ensure everyone had a good time (Abdominal used to do a helium balloon/’Fly Antics’ instrumental at 45rpm routine that was funny as well as technically impressive), and that’s more than can be said for a lot of well-established crews that I have seen over the years.

DJ Format feat. MC Abdominal: The Hit Song

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y9qngZZwMA]

[This is taken from Format's 'Music For The Mature B-Boy' release.]

The reason that ‘Flowtation Device’ succeeds in my book is that it does a pretty good job of delivering worthwhile content with both beats and rhymes. Fase’s production style is nothing ground-breaking, but it is littered with enough original touches to make it feel lively and engaging. ‘Sewmehnee (Times Fly)’ is a case in point with its interesting drum track, subtle vocal loop floating behind Abdominal’s chorus hook and the brief moment just before the two minute mark where the cut grinds to a steady halt only to wind back up into the groove ten seconds later. It’s a classy and infectious piece of production work that demonstrates more thought and care than the standard four bar loop, bassline and heavy drums formula, and is a good example of the subtleties of Fase’s work behind the boards across the album as a whole.

Abdominal’s vocal delivery on the album is impressive, and although I am not entirely convinced by his voice in itself, he does enough with dexterity and subject matter to make up for shortcomings elsewhere. Topics covered include his love for greasy fast food, the complexities of a man’s approach to a long-term relationship, odes to his girlfriend and the odd bragging verse for good measure. He is an accomplished narrative spinner who is able to incorporate humour, intelligence and honesty into his words without seeming too try-hard, and the result is a varied and original set of verses that are undeniably enjoyable. At times it does verge on the corny: I like the beat on ‘Elizabeth’, but Abdominal’s sung lyrics are hard to take even if the sentiment behind the track is heart-warming (the guy loves his girlfriend; ain’t nothing wrong with that).

If you are solely intent on pulling your finest screwface and throwing your hands in the air only to find yourself waving them around like you just don’t care, then ‘Flowtation Device’ is perhaps best avoided. However, if you feel like a break from slammin’ snares and uncompromising street narratives then there may be something of interest for you here. This is unlikely to be an album that receives heavy rotation in your stereo, but for those moments when you do dust it down and throw it on, you will be rewarded with happy, upbeat and mature hip hop music that is capable of the near impossible feat of getting your head nodding whilst warming your soul. Hats off to that.

Request Alert!

With my current obsession with ‘Nostalgia’ I’m rediscovering my love for Masta Ace, so any 12” rips will be gratefully received (don’t worry about the LPs). I’m also interested in hearing the Marley Marl produced Sah-B vinyl single entitled ‘Summa Day b/w Some Ol’ Sah-B Shit’. Thank you in advance…

Marco Polo: Nostalgia feat. Masta Ace & Go Around feat. Buckshot
taken from Port Authority (Rawkus/Soulspazm, 2007)

So here it is. After building up a significant amount of expectation and wild hopes for what ‘Port Authority’ may deliver musically as well as what it may represent in terms of hip hop culture in wider terms, it is now in my hands, in heavy rotation and awaiting dissection. I purposefully resisted the temptation to download an advance copy of Marco Polo’s much hyped solo debut in an attempt to recapture what I love about buying music in the first place: although ‘previewing’ records is a true joy of our digital age, there is nothing quite like buying something that you have been eagerly anticipating and are yet to hear, strolling home with a skip in your step (unfortunately this came directly from Amazon…) and unleashing it for that all important first listen where you begin to form your initial impressions and poise yourself for debate with like-minded friends in the near future. Ultimately, I was hoping that ‘Port Authority’ would give me that elusive buzz that is reluctantly fading in my memory as I grow older and increasingly cynical in my approach to music. So, has it managed it? Although this may not be a truly great album in musical terms alone, there is something special about this release that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and for that reason if nothing else, I’m rapidly falling in love with it: here’s why.

Let’s start with the music. ‘Nostalgia’ has been my tune of choice for well over a month now, and as one of the leading cuts from the album, it couldn’t have come much better. I love everything about this song: the beat, Masta Ace’s sensational vocal performance, the wonderfully crafted scratch chorus section that reeks of hip hop’s boom bap era and the video all contribute towards making what I believe is one of the best single hip hop tracks since the dawn of the new millenium. Every time I listen to this cut it gets better, and at the moment I simply can’t get enough of it (I’ve already killed it for my girlfriend). But let’s not get carried away. This is only one small element on an eighteen track release, and it would be a fallacy to let the greatness of this song alone cloud a judgement of the album as a whole. Do, however, treat yourself to the video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPZ2-FVcM3M]

Fortunately, there are other standouts here to savour. The soulful horns and downtempo pace of ‘Go Around’ make it one of the album’s most successful cuts, with Buckshot’s lyrical delivery supplemented by Tek and Steele’s chorus adlibs (’Bucktown!’): it’s a banger that recalls the Boot Camp sound of the early to mid ’90s with great success. It certainly helps that I’m a big fan of O.C., but ‘Marquee’ is also one of my initial favourites, with Omar Credle encouraging the listener to ‘get lost in the moment [as] this is feel good music’, a fitting description of the track and indeed of ‘Port Authority’ as a whole. I know that people front on Large Pro’s mic skills, but I also really enjoy ‘The Radar’ which additionally features some incredible scratching by turntable veteran DJ Revolution and even comes complete with its own Pete Rock style beat skit as the track fades out to make way for the bouncy ‘All My Love’. These sort of reminiscent touches litter the album, recapturing the boom bap spirit of old with style and serious flava.

Somewhat expectedly, there are some throwaway cuts as well. Tracks such as ‘Low Budget’ and ‘Heat’ aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they lack punch and are easily forgettable. Marco’s cover of ‘Electric Relaxation’ also feels like a bit of a waste of time for me, and he even acknowledges in the liner notes the potential difficulties that lie in ‘re-making a classic’. Although it’s an enjoyable rendition and continues to tie the album’s music in with the latter stages of hip hop’s golden era, you’re left asking what we really gain from it: it’s never going to be as good as the original, and doesn’t deviate away from one of Tribe’s finest moments enough to warrant its existence. Still, it’s hard not to appreciate the sentiment, and although the track’s success is limited, I’m not going to front on Marco for its inclusion on one of the most consistent releases of recent times.

So what does this album represent in terms of the culture as a whole? For me, there are three key issues that ‘Port Authority’ raises in relation to the genre’s existence in 2007. Firstly, in a world that is now dominated by the presence of the MC, the album contributes to the shift back to producer-led efforts where overall consistency is distinctly more viable than on the fifteen track/five producer efforts that we have grown accustomed to over the last decade and a half or so. Don’t get me wrong, Marco is by no means the first person to do this is recent memory (Dilla probably being the most prominent example), but this is a prime demonstration of a producer based effort that straddles the line between the underground and commercial viability, and which is also genuinely worthy of praise. The beatmaker is back firmly in the limelight: MCs out there, you’d best beware…

Secondly, ‘Port Authority’ recalls Rawkus’ successes towards the end of the ’90s, and although the label has a long way to go before it reaches its previous status as the number one choice for those artists who are keen to represent themselves as genuinely ‘keeping it real’, there is a hope generated by ‘Port Authority’ that Rawkus may yet recover from its demise around the turn of the century and deliver some material of serious quality in the future (last year’s Kidz In The Hall joint wasn’t too shabby either). Hip hop is in desperate need of a reliable and consistent label where the stamp on the back of new releases actually means something: perhaps Rawkus has got the ability to do so once again.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this album fits into a growing movement of ‘throwback rap’ that is beginning to gain real momentum, with artists drawing heavily on essential elements of the music from the past and updating it for a contemporary audience. Some may criticise ‘Port Authority’ for offering nothing new to the genre, labelling it a pastiche of hip hop from a forgotten era, but I find this attempted rejuvenation of the music encouraging and refreshing. In times of trauma, it is no surprise that we are looking back in an attempt to inform the future, and as a certified mid ’90s head, I can only hope that this trend continues with increasing vigour.

Ultimately, I’m willing to forgive this album’s shortcomings because it represents something sadly lacking from today’s hip hop scene: passion. There is a sense with this release that it is made by someone who genuinely loves hip hop and who wants to stay true to an essence of days that are now sadly fading into obscurity. It is made by a fan, for the consumption of similarly like-minded individuals who miss the heady days of the early ’90s. With its host of big name guest appearances and clear reliance on boom bap influences, there is a purity to ‘Port Authority’ that is infectious. I can only hope that we see more albums like this in the future: Marco Polo has managed to pay homage to the past in a fresh (cough) and engaging manner that hints towards a resurgence of the culture in the wake of its proclamation as ‘dead’. Or perhaps I’m just getting carried away… get yourself a copy and decide for yourself: I believe that ‘Port Authority’ is the finest album of the year so far.

Links to check out:
Marco Polo interview
Marco Polo’s website
Marco Polo’s MySpace

I owe a massive debt of gratitude to Dale at work for helping me out with all the technical side of things in the move towards the streaming, as well as Depleted for advice along the way (cheers boys!). Having established my own little slice of web space, I hope that there are no problems with streaming/downloading single tracks in the future, but feedback would be much appreciated on the example below:

Marco Polo: Nostalgia feat. Masta Ace
taken from Port Authority (Rawkus, 2007)

Still haven’t killed this track… ‘Port Authority’ review to follow very soon.

If I get no response on this I’ll just assume it’s all working. Thanks for your patience. Peace!