Tag Archives: obese records

Sketch The Rhyme “No Sleep ‘Til Adelaide” Tour – The Standard (15.02.13)

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Sketch The Rhyme

Sketch The Rhyme is an incredible invention for Aussie Hip-Hop.
The show kicked of with The Hi-Tops Brass Band, who gave off strong Aussie hip-hop vibes through their crisp, complex brass melodies. They really set the atmosphere for the whole show, hyping the crowd for themselves, and for the MCs and artists.

Ellesquire made a special appearance in their closing song, widening the grins in the front row of the crowded room. After a break, Sketch The Rhyme stepped into gear with P. Smurf, Ellesquire, Urthboy, Rapaport and Verbaliser (standing in for Tenth Dan).

After only having seen P.Smurf as part of Daily Meds at a show in Katoomba during 2012, it was awesome to see that Big Village is getting great Aussie Hip-hop out there, after he dropped the first track of his debut EP on the day of the show.

Sketch The Rhyme created a very in depth event with the MCs, we not only shared their laughs and emotions, but watched them as good friends literally, just doing what they love and having a sick time.

If you don’t know what Sketch The Rhyme involves you can check out their facebook page here, however, basically it’s a bunch of awesome freestyle games, with big names.

Games including Perfect Snatch, “Dead, Celebrity Heads” e.g Marilyn Monroe, a new game involving sketched bodies and rap battling (where Verbaliser battled P. Smurf, and Ellesquire Battled Rapaport), and ‘Last Mand Standing‘. The crowd loved this one which ended in a face off between P. Smurf and Ellesquire where the word was ‘Jungle’. P. Smurf took a nice win.

More The Messier was a crowd pleaser, and Guess The Next Topic closed the show with a bang. BIG ups to Big Village for setting this up.

The art was impressive on the night, the freestyle, sketching combo worked out perfectly at The Standard. Artists were Mie Nakazawa, Sam Clouston, Edgarr & Duckman, and Days One.

For more info on Big Village Records visit: http://www.facebook.com/bigvillage

Rating: 4/5

Video Review: Jess Harlen – Weaving (2012 Single)

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Jess Harlen has released her second single ‘Weaving’ from her latest album Park Yard Slang (produced by Plutonic Lab). She has now dropped the video clip featuring her bass guitar player Camilla Charlesworth and krump dancer HallowDreamz. The video was shot at Chinatown in New York which was a pretty apt location I’d say.

Harlen has recently relocated from Melbourne, Australia to Boston in the States (wise choice) and has since made some great impressions with the Americans. She has come a long way since her work as backing singer for Australian renowned roots-reggae band Blue King Brown. Having followed her work these last few years, I’ve always wondered why she isn’t already famous.

However, it seems like with Jess’ persistence and diligence she has gained some significant moments such as recently performing at the Waiata Maori Music Awards and now her songs are featured on TV shows such as Australia’s Bondi Rescue and the new American TV show Made In Jersey. Her work is finally starting to pay off! My prediction is that 2013 is going to be a massive year for the lady, so keep your eyes peeled!

Check out the video clip for ‘Weaving’ below!

Rating: 4/5

One Sixth – Electronic Mail (2012 Album)

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Brimming with fresh ideas, beats and “metronomic braille”, Melbourne rapper One Sixth’s debut album titled Electronic Mail is a recent product of Pang Productions. The album is a great recontextualisation of the rap genre, even from the first 30 seconds of the first track, it’s clear that Sixth is capturing the contemporary technological age we live in through his music. This record is far from a amateur EP – I definitely feel like I’ve been listening to a well-established rapper in his prime.

While the record maintains an effective, though possibly restrictive focus on the digital age, Sixth’s execution of his beliefs and his perspective is addictive. This tight lyrical scope has been well explored throughout the album, almost to it’s extent, though some tracks seem to use technical jargon out of context, for example ‘#http’. While it is an innovative idea to use as much as possible to make more complex rhymes, anyone with limited technical knowledge can see where terms are used for the sake of including them.

In saying that, I don’t believe that this will be deconstructive to the album. One Sixth’s execution of his lyrics is brilliant, and it’s backed with music that seems to incorporate all kinds of audio (from old school scratching to futuristic electro) yet still maintains a contemporary focus. This is a feat in itself, for any rapper let alone a debut artist.

This album represents an innovative and fresh outlook from the Melbourne rap scene, and I look forward to hearing more from One Sixth.

Rating: 3.5/5

Skryptcha – Mindful (2012 Album)

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Skryptcha’s most recent production stays true to what he has taught us about himself in his previous album. He stays true to the values of Aussie hip-hop; lyrically expressing his perspective of the world by allowing us to empathise with his background, his influences, and the ups and downs of his personal life and his rap career. I’ve been told that the key to successful music is an ability to relate – if this is the case, every song on this record can be called a success to typical Australians.

What I love about true Aussie hip-hop is the lack of hierarchy and arrogance; how humble the artists are in their music and Mindful is no exception. Skryptcha uses the first track of the record, ‘Graduation’, to express his appreciation for all the support he has gained, and to thank the entire Aussie hip-hop community for watching him grow to the level he is at now. I don’t doubt this is just one rung on Skryptcha’s ladder to recognition and progression – the closing track of Mindful, ‘My Way Up’ suggests he agrees with me. I absolutely love this song. Skryptcha’s collaboration with Illy, Joyride and !llmind is like a melting pot of sound excellence; as intended the track (along with others on this album) highlights the abilities of guest artists, and the result is a fresh, compelling sound which drives inspiration and motivation in audiences.

After listening to Mindful a number of times in the last 48 hours, I can confidently say (as a typically alternative music fan) that Mindful is one of my favourite albums of 2012.

Rating: 4/5

Illy – Bring It Back (2012 Album)

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This album does everything Illy intended it to do. Even as soon as I opened the album cover, I see Illy’s Thank-Yous & shoutouts – “…And lastly, to Australian Hip-Hop: Whether I pulled it off or not, this album was made as a tribute to a scene that I came from, love, and owe and incredible amount to.”

The mateship, level-headedness and genuine Australian identity that Illy has successfully evoked within himself not only for Bring It Back, but generally as an Australian Hip-Hop artist is humbling. Each song on this album expresses Illy’s perspectives on real issues; he talks about his experiences, values and beliefs in a way which is far too easy to relate to – he writes the words we as Australians think, then he sings them with a unique and captivating personal voice.

The overall feel of the album is so personal and real – Illy’s eternal positivity put a smile on my face for nearly every song. He has definitely achieved the “passion project” he was aiming for with this record. Tracks like ‘Where Ya Been’ (ft. Pez), ‘Back, Back, Forward’ and ‘Heard It All’ teach us some of the important things life has taught Illy – an important objective of the Australian Hip-Hop industry. Illy hasn’t let his success get to his head, he hasn’t sold out, and he hasn’t lost his ability to get down to the audience’s level and have a real conversation through his music. He’s on an unstoppable train ride to Aussie Hip-Hop idol status.

Beats by M-PHAZES, Trials, Billy Hoyle and One Above make the album what it is, these artists take traditional Australian Hip-Hop elements, reuse, recycle and invert them – the result is one amazing collection of tracks, all of which can be stuck in your head.

Traditionally not a huge Australian Hip-Hop follower, Illy’s recent tour, and ‘Bring It Back’ has converted me.

Rating: 4.5/5

ILLY + M-PHAZES + Skryptcha + Chasm + Jackie Onassis + Elemont – The Hi-Fi, Sydney (25.08.12)

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A cool Saturday evening at The Hi-Fi Sydney didn’t take long to warm up, with a huge all ages crowd that dwarfed the stage and sent an invigorating buzz throughout the crowd. This crowd wasn’t just there to show their support for main act ILLY and to see names like M-PHAZES, Skryptcha and Chasm; they were there to show their love for Aussie Hip-hop. Three hours of support acts really didn’t feel like support acts, the crowd’s response to performances by Elemont and Jackie Onassiswas infectious, and soon the entire audience was starved for more.

Special guest appearances by Joyride and The Tongue were crowd pleasers, performing ‘My Way Up’ and others from Skryptcha’s recently released album Mindful. From my perspective as a photographer I could see at least 5 people in the front row matching the rhymes of these artists, it was an incredible atmosphere. Skryptcha’s final song ‘Dance’ had the crowd going wild – this was definitely the highlight of the show until this point, the crowd’s involvement in the music was huge, I could clearly hear the lyrics from the audience.

A short intermission meant a step outside into the cold night air for many, before the crowd drew in tight to the mosh wall, expectant for ILLY to come on stage and make our nights. A short set by M-PHAZES got the crowd pumping again; with popular tracks including Aussie Hip-hop names like Drapht, Bliss N Eso, and 360. By the end of M-PHAZES’ set the crowd were practically drooling for ILLY to perform, and his well-timed entrance did not disappoint. A combination of songs from Long Story Short, The Chase, and his new album Bring It Back had the crowd booming over old favourites, and pumped for new tracks. Songs from The Chase like ‘Diamonds (ft. Wren)’ and ‘Cigarettes’ featuring Hue Blanes, were played with great sound quality and huge crowd involvement, it was really an impressive performance.

ILLY got personal with the audience, and brought out his phone for a signature shot of himself with the audience, before closing the show with a captivating encore of ‘Rock Star Shit’ dubbed to a mix of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and ‘Heard It All’ from his new Bring It Back album, which definitely made the night for me, and, I daresay every member of the audience.

All in all, it was a great Saturday night for Aussie Hip-hop, with a great crowd and amazing performances.

Rating: 4/5

Photographs from the show can be found by clicking here.

National Urthboy Supports & Praise For “Bigger Pictures”

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National Urthboy Supports & Praise For “Bigger Pictures”

It’s been a massive few months for Rainman since the release of his sophomore album ‘Bigger Pictures’, but following on from his own national album launch shows he’s just announced that he’ll be joining Urthboy for shows on his ‘Naïve Bravado’ Tour. Including a four star album review in The Australian, the announcement follows on from a string of critical acclaim for ‘Bigger Pictures’, and praise across the board:

“Rainman’s calm, measured tones work well in both chorus and verse. The beats on Bigger Pictures’s 15 tracks are uniformly excellent … an impressive album” – The Australian (4 stars)

“a dizzyingly diverse collection of beats and lyrical feats accompanied by guests galore. Essentially, it’s everything a good hip hop album should be” – Rave Magazine (4 stars)

“It’s no doubt Rainman has nailed it with Bigger Pictures. I feel he easily deserves the same rank as some of the bigger Australian Hip Hop artists as he executes each song on Bigger Pictures to perfection” – Australian Musicians Network

“Sometimes serious, always sublime this is an album not to be missed” –

CertifiedScribe.com.au.

Sydneysiders can catch Rainman this Friday 27th July @ FBI Social, Kings Cross. Brissie, Byron and Melbourne can catch Rainman:

With Urthboy:

Friday August 31st @ Evelyn, Melbourne
w/ Yung Warriors

BUY TIX.

Friday September 14th @ the Northern, Byron Bay
w/ The Last Kinection

BUY TIX.

Saturday September 15th @ The Zoo, Brisbane
w/ The Last Kinection

BUY TIX

With w/ Daily Meds

Daily Meds Album Launch (Brisbane)
Saturday 11th August @ Coniston Lane
Supported by a special one-off Rainman + Calski set featuring guest vocalist pear & live visuals from VJ Simulcast.

‘Bigger Pictures’

He’s been a feature artist on triple j’s Hip Hop Show and played alongside everyone from Grandmaster Flash (USA), Ice Cube (USA) and Jungle Brothers (USA) through to The Herd, Hilltop Hoods, Urthboy, Muph n Plutonic, Pegz, TZU, Thundamentals, Astronomy Class, Tom Thum / Tommy Illfigga and many more. Mention Rainman amongst the initiated and the respect attributed to his name is palatable. Recognised nationally as one of Queensland’s finest, his list of collaborations, support slots and guest appearances reads like a who’s who of Oz hip hop.

The Herd’s Urthboy said it well: “destined to become a positive and very listenable force… with laidback but self assured flows and a gift for hooks and phrases. One of Brisbane’s best-kept secrets”. Australia’s ‘hip hop central’ OzHipHop.Com dubbed him Queensland’s “best-kept secret – with an eloquence for song-writing rarely seen in Hip hop”.

Friday May 4th sees Rainman drop his second album “Bigger Pictures” through the freshly minted Born Fresh Records and via Obese Records Distribution. “Bigger Pictures” sees the collaborative partnership of Rainman and Sammsonite (The Optimen) return for the lion’s share of the production but also features some of Australia’s finest beat- smiths including the APRA and AIR Award winning, ARIA nominated Count Bounce (TZU/Urthboy), DJ Bonez, Mangohig (Sietta), Chasm (Astronomy Class), Cam Bluff (Vegas Aces) and Calski.

Guest MCs on the record include Muph (Muph n Plutonic), Tommy Illfigga, Yuin Huzami (The Coalition Crew), Seven (triple j Unearthed winner) & 4TH (Vegas Aces), while Laneous (Laneous & The Family Yah), Kel on Earth (Bankrupt Billionaires) and Youka (Killbot Kindergarten) all lend soulful vocals across the album, mixed with a drop of folk courtesy of pear (Pear & the Awkward Orchestra).

The actual title of the album says a lot about the record itself. Rainman explains: “Midway through making the album I realised how often I found myself saying ‘look at the bigger picture’ in conversations and in my own lyrics. There seemed to be this recurring theme for me about remembering to keep things in perspective and seeing that my own worries were pretty small in the grand scheme of things. As I started to use it as a working title I realised how the tracks are like zooming in and creating a bigger picture of a topic or a moment or a state of mind or even a place, and often is about revealing something that may have been missed. So then it was settled, the album was actually a whole bunch of ‘bigger pictures’.

Lyrics-wise Rainman is rarely comfortable with speaking generally, preferring to dive into topics, swim in the details and indeed – paint the bigger pictures. Themes across the album range from poor eyesight to marketing; the creative process to ‘duck faces’; the love of music to the love of a lady. This is an Australian hip hop album that can take the piss and have a laugh, but still hold an intelligent conversation and tell a story.

It’s an album that swings from the bombasticism of tracks like ‘Valley’ to the refined storytelling soul drop of ‘Muse Sick (feat. Laneous)’. It’s an album from a laidback hip hop head who grew up on dope rhymes and banging beats but doesn’t aspire to purity of the form. Hip hop that people who don’t listen to hip hop can still get into. Humorous, emotive and reflective, it doesn’t always scream at you that it’s hip hop, it just is.
It’s all best said in the man’s own words:“again, it’s quite obviously reflected in the title, but to me this album is about perspectives. This is both my personal stories (trying to paint bigger pictures of where I’m coming from), but also my take on the world and with a broader encouragement for people to look around them at what’s going on with a wider perspective.

I think there’s also a kind of ‘call to action’ theme that creeps up throughout the album as well. From the more brooding ‘things suck, get active about it’ feel (‘Too much’), to the cynical take on marketing saturating out lives (‘WTF’), to just getting on with life despite the ups and downs (‘Count Blessings’) to a more direct ‘make a move’ anthem (‘Move’).

Musically we’ve stretched things a bit. It’s definitely still coming from a straight up hip hop perspective, but this time around there’s more synths and live instrumentation in the mix. With lyrics, I think there’s a bit more soul searching and storytelling. It gets heavy at times but there’s actually a lot more humour in there too. I think I stayed away from the humour side of things on the last album and that felt like a big chunk of who I am was missing. It’s also possible I’ve been watching too many Lonely Island and Flight of the Concords’ episodes too though.

Lastly – tuning in with the different perspectives theme, there’s a few tracks that are the flip sides of each other and tracks that flip perspectives within the one song. ‘Darlin’ flips things in the third verse to speak from lady hip hop’s view, ‘The Buzz’ flips from the intense moments at the start of a relationship to a time in the future when it’s all over. With ‘Big Night’ we’re all heading out for drinks and yet ‘The Valley’ is about just seeing that whole ’big night’ scenario through a sober lens of an onlooker. ‘Everything Ain’t’ is me getting bogged down but it’s then followed by the reality check of ‘Count Blessings’, that picks up from those same tensions but takes a step back. It’s a reminder that I’m actually pretty damn lucky to only have the worries I do have – things could always be better but they could definitely be a whole lot worse y’know….”

Catch Rainman live, officially launching “Bigger Pictures” up and down the east coast:

Saturday 16th June @ The Born Fresh Block Party, Coniston Lane (ex Woodlands), Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD

Friday 6th July @ Laundry Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC

Friday 27th July @ FBI Social, Kings Cross, Sydney, NSW

Rainman – painting “Bigger Pictures”. In Stores Friday 4 May through Born Fresh / Obese.

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