Lazer Sword “Blap to the Future Megamix”

Lazer Sword
Blap to the Future Megamix
(self-released; 2008)

In lieu of their first and proper debut EP on LA’s digital B.E.A.R label, San Francisco glitch-inators Lazer Sword have been kind enough to those that know better by whetting our appetites with a 48 minute mixtape chock full of crunchy, cut up remixes and edits that intermingle their signature dissonant space-synth and broken glitch-beat assault with top 40 rap acapellas. While this is far from an original concept, Lazer Sword prove their worth in space credits on this popular medium by sticking to their not-always-so-easy-to-dance-to style and showing both the glitch and hip hop world that they know their way around a wave file.

The tracks on this mixtape follow a linear path straight to bangerville, but the sounds never come across as boring or tired. There are too many screwed up layers and sudden changes in Lazer Sword’s production to allow loss of interest in where they’re taking you with every song; even if it always feels like you’re in a spaceship to planet hyphy. They treat each acapella with almost a hall of fame sort of reverence, allowing the raw vocals to propel and sometimes even carry their tweaked instrumentals. This respect is necessary for Blap to the Future’s separation from the many other producers that use the electronic-music-with-rap-vocal format. Though it may help them to have popular vocal tracks to help nod your head along with their music it’s by no means a crutch. Instead of sounding like they giggle at each “nigga” or drug-peddling reference over their oscillating synths, you can rest assured knowing that Lazer Sword was nodding their heads to the original tracks before choosing to screw these songs into sweet oblivion.

In short, Lazer Sword is telling you to get ready. They have a lot of ideas, both new ones and revised standards, but if you think they’re going to let them all loose on a mixtape you’ll be happily mistaken. You can tell that Lazer Sword is only just warming up, and, if you’ll take my word, we’re soon to be all the more fortunate for the extra time they’ve taken in crafting their first solo release. In the meantime, enjoy the hell out of Blap to the Future by taking advantage of one of the mixtape’s best qualities; it’s free download available on Lazer Sword’s Myspace page. Peep impending glitch-hop game, son!

- Patric Fallon

www.myspace.com/lazersword

By Any Means “Urban Urbane”

By Any Means
Urban Urbane
(self-released; 2008)

Ruda and DJ Smiff want to let as much of the world’s population possible know that they are black, can rap better than you, and could probably have sex with your girlfriend. While this kind of widespread communication is no easy feat, I’m sure a mass email threatening “lack of booty for a year” to those who don’t forward the message or the creation of a thirty second video on Youtube would’ve done the trick. By Any Means, the combined efforts of Ruda and DJ Smiff, decided to record a full length album called Urban Urbane instead. The album is armed with the same three points mentioned earlier and has about the same allure and lasting power as the chain email and Youtube video that were suggested in the beginning of this paragraph.

- Patric Fallon

P.S. Ruda and DJ Smiff just reminded me that they also want you to know they like to smoke weed.

www.myspace.com/bambyanymeans

The Instant Messengers “Slammers!”

The Instant Messengers
Slammers!
(self released, 2008)

If you can’t tell from the hip hop group’s name or the title of their recent EP Slammers!, the three emcees and one DJ that make up The Instant Messengers are children of the 90s. Vocalists Alexander Spit, Cambo, and Cheshire Darko present themselves as the voice of this up-and-coming generation when they rhyme about being the last age not completely immersed in technology or the salad days of their Power Ranger and Pog influenced childhood. The Instant Messengers are more or less like Jurassic 5 in their generation specific nostalgia, but instead of relating with the B-boys and early DJs of the 80s they reference the swing craze and other fads of the 90s.

The music production and vocal delivery of Slammers! are equally solid, and as far as the usual range of hip hop lyrics go, The IMs has a unique bone to pick with modern day life. However, I can’t always be sure what their point is. When the music screams that it wants to move the party, the lyrics take aim at the creative process of writing or the state of our environment before they explain how they’ll steal your girl from you. Despite their lyrical desire in “iHuman” for more than the current over-synthesized era has to offer, I can’t shake the irony I see in the debunking of technology despite their obvious use of it.

Regardless, The Instant Messengers write fun songs with arms wide open to listeners of all ages and walks of life. Though they reminisce about the “good ol’ days” in their lyrics, the group still brings current and interesting beats to back up what they have to say. They take their music seriously (hence a recent move from SF to LA), and if you see them live you’ll know they come to the stage with real energy, ready to move the most stubborn of listeners. I’m not predicting any particular fame or fortune, but I wouldn’t be surprised that with time and persistence The Instant Messengers will truly take the place of Jurassic 5 as the next generation’s old-schoolers.

www.myspace.com/instantmessengers

Audiopharmacy “Spare Change Teaser”

Audiopharmacy
Spare Change Teaser
(self released, 2007)

When reviewing demos you need to try to look past production value. It’s difficult, but allows for a more objective perspective. However, overlooking recording quality doesn’t mean you’ll find good music underneath the muffled vocal tracks and poorly mixed instrumentation. Such is the case with Audiopharmacy.

Apparently, these guys like to get high and rhyme over chill-out, dub beats interwoven with nylon string guitar noodling. This CD mixes bits of what I can assume are all or most of the tracks from an album called Spare Change. From what I can tell I’m pretty sure you need an inclination towards dreadlocks and classical guitar driven “hip hop” to enjoy what this music is incinuating their album sounds like. Pass.

www.audiopharmacy.com
www.myspace.com/audiopharmacy