reviews on glasswerk

perhaps it is a slight cop-out to shuffle readers off in other directions when i haven't had proper time for proper music blogging

but i suppose it is more like providing a service

you may have missed out on recent reviews of mine surfacing on glasswerk, and this way i can also tie them up with embedded players, so that you get a fuller effect of what i've been listening to and what i've really been feeling


as i mentioned last time, i got to see MC Lars' gig in Wimbledon courtesy of glasswerk, where he was ably supported by Akira The Don and MC Chris



and it was MC Chris in particular that was an absolute revelation to me, an absolute comedy genius and a talented rapper that tackles such hard hitting subject matter as Neville Longbottom dealing weed, ninjas, more weed and obscure references to Star Wars bounty hunters that really endeared him to me

full review here


mc chris - IG-88 (killsaly remix)


I'm not much into slating bands that have obviously put their hearts into producing music, and try to live by the motto that if you haven't got anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all, but when you end up with a bunch of CDs sent out that need reviewing then i guess you're not gonna love them all

The Cymbals fall into this category, not a bad band exactly, but they failed to have much of a lasting impact, hence my creative criticism in this review and a lack of embedded mp3 for you to trial, check them out if you think that they'll appeal, but i've got more tracks to showcase here that are more interesting than a throwback to 2006


much more interesting in a rather chin-stroking manner is the Leicester based electronica experimentalist (with a rather un-Google friendly name) AFS, whose single, The Prince, was released to coincide with last months royal wedding, despite having nothing at all to do with it other than the tenuous title, but i could quite easily forgive that, as you'll find in my review

and after checking out a little more AFS online i also found this, his previous release entitled Mothers Day, that samples a message from a father to his sons that was found on a mystery cassette tape by a friend in Canada



and the last artist artist i want to feature is Barbara Panther

Barbara Panther's self titled debut album was released earlier this month, and in the time i have spent listening to it for the purpose of reviewing i have became quite a fan, recommending her to friends (and blog readers alike) and have continued to go back to the album, purely for the reason that it is a great listen

The easiest way to sell Barbara Panther would be as a mix of M.I.A and Bjork, then throw in a bunch of other strong female frontwomen and brave electronic production that still retains a pop sheen and you're probably thinking along the right lines.

The full review is here, but rather than take my word for it, i would urge anyone and everyone to give her a listen, the full album is streaming via City Slang's soundcloud, and i shall leave you with one of my favourites from the album

Moonlightpeople by BarbaraPanther

R.I.P Gil Scott Heron

Gil Scott Heron is an inspirational voice that i shall miss, and a voice that will live on forever

may he rest in peace






Giles Babel - go crazy (a tribute to Gil Scott-Heron)

Odd Future

it seems to be getting quite cramped here in this music industry with all this hype surrounding Odd Future taking up so much room.

things have been bubbling up for quite a while now, and it must have been the middle of last year as they were dropping their second mixtape that the words Odd Future first connected with me.

but in the past month or two everything seems to have come to a head for the hip-hop collective as talk of their name and of their members appears to be absolutely everywhere, everyone wants a piece of them, and in the last two weeks alone Odd Future seem to have cemented their current reputation with an NME cover piece and a riotously recieved showcasing slot at Camden Crawl.

and as a person in tune with current trends and eager to latch onto the newest and most exciting music before it is embraced by the wider world, it may surprise you to know (as it sure surprised me) that i have never even heard any music by Odd Future.

i'm pretty sure i should like them, purely the fact that the groups full given name is Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All and that among their members are the fascinating and ridiculous monikers Tyler the Creator, Hodgy Beats and Earl Sweatshirt is enough to light the blue touch paper for me.

Yes, i've read the reviews, they've been hard to avoid, and i'm even aware of the bizarre little news story that Earl Sweatshirt had gone missing from the line-up for months, only to be traced to a 'therepeutic centre' on a Samoan island.

i even decided to scroll through my generic mp3 player, and it turns out that i do have Odd Future's Radical mixtape downloaded from last year, as well as tracks from Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt and the whole mixtape 'Nostalgia, Ultra' by Frank Ocean that dropped in February this year, yet i have still never knowingly listened to any of these tracks.

but it isn't just the hype-mongering NME that are flying the flag for Odd Future, an innordinate amount of hipster blogs and even America's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon are more up on things than i am.

so, with the possible exception of my girlfriend, who listens to Geoff Lloyd on Absolute, am i really one of the last people on the planet to tune into Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All?

i think it's about time that i popped in my headphones to rectify this glaring oversight and see if i believe the hype.

Tyler The Creator (Odd Future) - Splatter

new reviews on glasswerk

in the hands of a new editor, it appears that glasswerk seems to be upping its game and has already hooked me up to review MC Lars when he hits London this month and provided me with a care package that arrived last week of CDs to be reviewed.

not wanting to waste too much time, i have had they have been on rotation in order to help form my opinions and two of my reviews have been posted already this week.

not wanting to deprive you of my valuable opinions, i thought i may aswell bring these to your attention, while also throwing a little light on the artists reviewed so far.

first up was Daniel Haaksman

a DJ and label boss of Man Recordings, Haaksman will be releasing his ethnically enriched debut album, Rambazamba, later this month, but you can read my account of it right now on glasswerk

and those that wan't to know what i'm talking about may want to give a little listen to the current teaser of the album available to stream, that picks the tracks to pieces and shuffles them together to provide a 17 minute long taster session

Daniel Haaksman - "Rambazamba" album teaser

and the second review online is of MidiMidis

presenting an intriguing blend of chiptune and forgotten indie, their double A-side single was released on monday, and after streaming the lead track The Despondent below, i would suggest that you glance over my review and make me aware of your own opinions of the band and their latest release.

MidiMidis - The Despondent