[VIDEO + INTERVIEW] LINKAN - "MFD"

My man Linkan came to prominence with the duo Side Effectz (who soon expanded to a trio) and with their raw and honest lyrics, boom bap drums and melodic loops and a huge respect for the true hip hop that came before with each record they soon became one of Sweden's finest musical exports. Linkan was always the front man of the group, as Apokalips and Juancan mainly stood for the production while Linkan led the show both on stage and in the studio. After the very succesful "Wonderbaum Music" (by far the group's best album to date when it dropped in 2013) it was a no brainer for the front man to try his luck as a solo artist. And in 2015 he did just that with the the excellent, short but sweet, "Almighty Bigalizer"; fans of true hardcore hip-hop with well written lyrics and a unique flow owes it to themeselves to give this one a chance. One of my trusted Australian readers wrote me an e-mail raving about how Linkan's solo debut was for him without adoubt the best album released that year. I wouldn't personally go that far, but if you think I only say that Linkan is a really talented brother creating amazing music because he's a close friend of mine you are lost as fuck. Had his music was wack I would never promote it on The Lost Tapes, so if you like my usual content don't fucking sleep on this 30 year old Swedish spitter who has cultivated a life-long love for hip-hop culture.

With each Side Effectz / Linkan release we have worked on something special to celebarte each relesae via The Lost Tapes, as there's beenn some great interviews and so on. This time we didn't want to do it a little different. "Almighty Bigalizer" can be streamed in its entirety over at Side Effectz Bandcamp, so for this article I asked Linkan to break down the process of some of my personal favorites of the 10 songs deep set. A lot of behind the scenes insight and a good way to get to know the artist outside of rhyming so don't sleep on this article. Up top you'll also find the brand new video for the single "MFD" while the conversation (with audio clips to stream) you'll find below. Let's get it on my brothers!

claaa7: As I know you for quite some time I know that we both grew up on pretty much the same hardcore boom bap shit as far as music goes, but whereas SIde Effectz was a democracy this time you could really steer the project any way you wanted. Some people have commented on the heavy Golden Era influence in its sound. What would you say you're influences for the album were? And while we're at it, were did the name come from?0

Linkan: I've always had a lot of love for that raw, dark, dusty 90's vibe and producers like Organized Noize, RZA, Showbiz and Havoc to name a few and I felt that I wanted to go deeper into that vein than on my previous projects with Side Effectz.

At first I thought about calling the album 'Lo Tech Original' or 'The Buena Vista Anti-Social Rub A Dub Club' but after I settled on 'Almighty Bigalizer' the direction and concept got clearer. The Almighty Bigalizer is basically a serenade to the dopest religion in town - MUSIC. It's the vibe transporter, the thought amplifier and the tool that connects my mind to the universe. Deep shit haha!!

claaa7: I know you worked on this album for a long time, in the beginning it was pretty much simultaneously with the last Side Effectz LP if I remember correctly. I know you went through a lot of beats, at one time you had contributions from people like E-Blaze, Tokyo Cigar and The Militia that unfortunately didn't make the final cut. But what were you looking for in the beat submissions and how did you pick and choose? That same question also relates to your lyrical process, how did you decide on what to make the final cut or not?

Linkan: I started looking for beats in the fall of 2014 and recorded the first tracks in January 2015. I replaced about half of the beats during the process and I still got some ill instrumentals laying around that I might use later on. The producers is a collection of old friends and long-time collaborators (e.g Juancan, daniel El Campeon) as well as new international connects like Ko Albrecht and Philanthrope that I mostly hooked up with through Soundcloud, where you can find tons of talented, unknown people doing dope things.

As for the lyrics it's a mixture of things I had saved for a while, as they felt more like Linkan than Side Effectz material and some others that I wrote during the recording sessions. The topics is still a lot about everyday life: what we do and what goes in the world around us but this is only my first solo project so I think you'll see more of a change in subject matter in the future. I'm also planning a project in Swedish to drop in the spring of 2016 so that'll be diffferent..

claaa7: Very interesting. I know the promo single you dropped as part of Side Effectz, "Stila Dig", was really appreciated amongst your Swedish fans so I think that could be a wise idea. But back to the album at hand and "Almighty Bigalizer". I want to throw out five or six of my personal favorites of the album and ask you to break them down for me and The Lost Tapes readers. Are you okay with that?

Linkan: Sure thing.. Go ahead fam!

claaa7: "ANYBODY OUT THERE" Linkan; I don't subscribe to any organized religion but the way this world was created and set up it's too perfect for it to be a fluke. I'm thinking there's gotta be somebody out there somewhere watching and laughing at us while we're running around stressin, taking ourselves too seriously, thinking we're important and interesting when the fact is we ain't shit.

    The track is produced by my Växjö peeps Romero & Juancan, now rocking under the name Euphonics. "Anybody Out There" might be my favorite cut on the album. It's soulful and crispy and I get some good points across.

claaa7: "YOUTHMAN"
Linkan: "Youthman" is produced by Philanthrope, a dope producer from Austria with a catalog full of jazzy, smoked-out beats. The hook is something I had laying around for a while and when I heard the beat it fit like a glove. My man Antone Mecca from Rusty Label is featured on there but I originally wanted three rappers to kick their stories and perspectives of youth but since the third one didn't finish I wrote the last verse dedicated to the youthman of today. To me it feels like the brainwash and confusion is at an all-time high right now. With all the information and propaganda coming at you from all angles it's hard to dig through all the bullshit and be original.  The youth is the future so Youthman: Use your head, be yourself!

claaa7: "'TURN IT UP"
Linkan: That was done very quickly, in like 30 minutes. Me and Locsta was in the lab vibing to the beat from Ko Albrecht and he was like 'You got something?. 'Yeah. You got something?' 'Yeah... Let's Go'. I think it captures that raw feeling and sounds very organic.
     Locsta is another Växjö cat that been spittin but haven't released that much. He's definitely dope so we might do more music together. I think he should drop some solo shit too.

claaa7: "SMÅLAND STYLEE"
 
Linkan: Me and Juancan have been making music together on and off for the last 15 years but when he came with the 'Småland' beat we hadn't been hanging out or done anything in a long time. It's definitely a banger and the beat gave me flashbacks to 'Little Johnny From the Hospitul', a crazy instrumental album we used to listen to back in the day. The lyrics is some random shit, basically what was in my head at the time. Some indian food, some old tv cartoons, some politics. The hook is repping home- Växjö, Småland. I felt it would be a dope opening cut for the album and a nice introduction or re-introduction to my style.

claaa7: "SALUTE"
Linkan: That's my version of a party track haha. Its about that feeling when you've been working hard, stressing and got too much shit on your mind and gotta let it all out! Maybe I should have done a M.O.P-type banger instead but I chose the smooth tip haha... It's also a salute to my people: my girl & my daughters, my family & friends, my fellow musicians and all the people that keeps supporting us. They are the reason I'm still doing this shit and will keep on doing it til I'm finished... I think the track is quite uplifting too so I felt it was a good one to close the album and tie it all together.

[Stream] LINKAN (of SIDE EFFECTZ) - "Almighty Bigalizer"

As noted before Swedish emcee and Side Effectz front-man Linkan unleashes his debut album as a solo artist today, November 26. Consisting of 11 strong tracks, "Almighty Bigalizer" connects Linkan's love for the gritty boom bap sounds of hip-hop's golden age with his well documented knack for writing introspective and socially conscious rhymes. Production comes from a wide range of sources of young up and coming producers representing various parts of Europe which adds an extra dimension to the project.

You can stream the album via Bandcmap (below) or Spotify - a link for purchasing the 180 grams vinyl drop will be up any minute so I'll edit this post as soon as it is available (check out the test press). TURN IT UP!!

LINKAN (of Side Effectz) - "Youthman"

As promised, another ill single to hold us over for the first solo album from Side Effectz Linkan, "Almighty Bigalizer". The international collaboration holds up as one of my personal favorites from the LP with it's melodic yet hard hitting backdrop (courtesy of producer Philantrophe) works as a perfect canvas for Linkan and Rusty Label's Antone Mecca. Check out the tracklist for the album which will be available this Thursday on 180 gram vinyl delivered within a sick gatefold cover.

1 Introlude (Produced by AsfaltAllan)

2 Småland Stylee (Produced By Juancan)

3 What's Going On? (Produced By Ko Albrecht)

4 Interbeing's Revenge (Produced By Ko Albrecht)

5 MFD (Produced By Blezz)

6 Stand Clear (Featuring Locsta, Produced By King P Pete)

7 Anybody Out There? (Produced By Romero & Juancan)

8 Insane (Featuring Locsta, produced By Daniel El Campeon)

9 Turn It Up (Featuring Locsta, produced By Ko Albrecht)

10 Youthman (Featuring Antone Mecca, Produced By Philanthrope)

11 Another Lullaby (Produced By Philanthrope)

12 Salute (Produced By King P Pete)

LINKAN (of SIDE EFFECTZ) - "Småland Stylee"

You heard the banging audio before, now Linkan lets loose of the visual companion to "Småland Stylee", the first single from his upcoming solo album "Almighty Bigalizer". The album will be available on wax next Friday but before then we should have time for one more single so check back for more heat next week. Track produced by fellow Side Effectz member Juancan; video directed by Markus.

LINKAN (of SIDE EFFECTZ) - "Småland Stylee"

Linkan has released a stream of dope underground music for the past decade as part of Swedish trio Side Effectz but is finally ready to let loose of his first album as a solo artist. "Almighty Bigalizer" will be available on limited 180 grams 12" vinyl and digital on November 19 and features production from a gang of international beatmakers on the rise. The first single is called "Småland Stylee" is a nod back to Linkan's roots as it sees him repping his community over a crisp track provided by fellow Side Effectz member Juancan. Bang that shit LOUD and stay tuned for more on "Almighty Bigalizer" as we move closer towards its release date.

[EP] LINKAN / CAP - "Moodswingz"

Linkan from underground collective Side Effectz's hooks up with fellow ill-spitter Cap for "Moodswingz", a newly recorded EP just made available for free. The chemistry between the two emcees have evolved and taken shape through several stage performances and studio sessions over many years, including the Side Effectz classic "Moonshine", resulting in a musical kinship that's clearly reflected throughout the six selections. Produced by several up and coming European beat makers such as PMPEE Beats, A. Dub and Daniel El Campeon, "Moodswingz" is framed by a stripped down sounds that's thick on atmosphere and heavy on the bottom. Highlights include the single "Keep it Movin'" (peep the video above) and "Loose Folks" - don't sleep!

[Video] LINKAN + CAP - "Keep it Movin'"

Just a couple of days ago we heard the audio for Linkan (Side Effectz) and CAP's most recent single, "Keep It Movin", the first track to be released from their forthcoming "Moodswingz" EP which hits the net as a digital release this summer. Production on the EP comes from up-and-coming but very talented producers including PMPEE Beats, Daniel El Campeon and A. Dub. Stay tuned for more info and check out the psychadelic video above, directed by Marcus N.

LINKAN + CAP - "Keep It Movin'"

Linkan (from Side Effectz) and Cap reunites for another certified banger with "Keep It Movin'", produced by PMPEE Beats. This is the lead single from the upcoming "Moodswingz" EP, which the duo is scheduling for a summer release. Now bang your head to this!

[Video] SIDE EFFECTZ - "Wunderbaum Music"

The title track from Side Effectz's finest work which was released earlier this year get the video treatment, again directed and edited by Marcus. Produced by Akopalips, vocals by Linkan and cameos from a bunch of the true AOTS head like Asfaltz Allan, Cas, Al, to name a few... Shit, even that guy claaa7 pops up for a moment! Make sure to cop the LP here if you haven't already!

[Interview] SIDE EFFECTZ

I interviewed the guys in Side Effectz for The Lost Tapes a couple of years back as they had just then released their second full-length, "The Wood Sessioms". Hooking back up for another meeting recently, we got ready to discuss their new, and finest, project to date, which is also their first to be released on vinyl, "Wunderbaum Music". As the group was getting ready for their release party at Café Deluxe later that night, I got the rare chance of being able to discuss their music with all three of the members being present at the same time. The result is as follows...

claaa7: There's no doubt in my mind that "Wunderbaum Music" is your most focused project yet. What was different recording this album as compared to its predecessors?

Linkan: This time we recorded everything in the same studio, down in Malmö, with the same equipment and were able to mix down everything exactly the same way.  The last one was recorded at several different studios, by different people, and under a very long time. "Wunderbaum Music" didn't take that long time in comparison, with the use of one microphone, and the involvement of the same small clique.

claaa7: How long did it take to record the album?

Linkan: About six months, maybe? The earliest song we recorded for the LP was "Kaddu" which we had first recorded back in May 2012, and the last track was recorded sometime early this year soon before we completed the record; I think it was in January... So about eight months for the total process.

Juancan: But at the same time, the actual instrumentals were recorded and taken from various sessions over a vast amount of time. The most outstanding example of this is the "Thunderkingz" beat which I actually made a long, long time ago; maybe even getting close to ten years ago, which I think is apparent in its sound too. So although the vocal parts, sequencing and mix was done over a relatively short time span, many of the beats were crafted during different periods.

claaa7: But I still think there's a definite wholeness or musical conceptualization that is clearly evident and runs through the entire album. I was personally suprised to learn that "Thunderkings" was pretty much the oldest beat you've used on any of your three albums.

Juancan: True, but it all comes down to the vocals when you record over a short time span [like we did]. In a way, vocals are the one main thing that's really alive in the thing I think; a lot of the energy you pick up on as a listener will come from the vocals. If you listen to our first LP, and then listen to this one there's no question that Linkan sound a lot more sure as an emcee here.

Akopalips: On "The Wood Sessions" many tracks were several years old and lifted from various sessions, resulting in the lack of a truly coherent sound. There, Linkan's evolution as a rapper was spread over over a too long amount of period which was reflected on the overall sound. For this new LP, that was not a factor since it was created over a much shorter, and more focused, period which created a much stronger musical bond between the songs we used for the album. And of course, there's a lot more confidence in ourselves as artists this time around!

Linkan: Right, we've simply gotten better at pretty much everything; from writing, to production, and so forth...

claaa7: I know that you all live in three different cities. How does that affect you as a group? Could it even be considered as a strength, i.e. you're getting to grow and perfecting your ideas before meeting up to record?

Isaac: A lot more gets done once we come together now.

Linkan: Yeah, that's how I feel too. Every time I've been down to work we've recorded at least four tracks, sometimes more. So now, we are more able to complete and perfect the ideas you're working on before recording, whereas when we could record every day you didn't always put your heart into it in the same way. Now you know you have to really nail it before you go back home again.

c7: So, you're always working together in the studio as opposed to sending vocals and beats back and forth which is so popular in this day and age?

Linkan: We do send the beats between us, so that I can write whenever and wherever to the track in question, but I only record vocals once we're together in the studio. The guys won't even know what I'll spit on their respective beats until we are actually in a session.

c7: As far as the mixing, studio engineering and all that technical stuff, who was behind that on this record?

Akopalips: Most of it was done by myself, with some help from Juancan.

Juancan: Yeah, the only thing that really wasn't of our own handling was the mastering for the vinyl press, which was handled by an outside guy who did a phenomenal job. But besides that we really do as much as possible ourselves, even down to the graphic design. It's homemade ish for real!

c7: One thing that I picked up on from this album is that it has more of a true group vibe to it than I think was heard on your previous releases...

Akopalips: I think it has a lot to do with the three of us spending a lot of time together just hanging out which creates that refreshing relationship in our music that I believe is reflected in the sound of the project.

Juancan: Right. It's that, and the fact that we, by now, have done this for a long time and are all more sure of ourselves as both individual artists and in trusting each others judgments. You're a lot more comfortable about the whole process than before when you were recording material at a younger age. That was something you could really tell when we were all down in Akopalip's studio for these sessions, and ideas were just flowing out of us.

Akopalips: Yeah, the musical partnership [between us as producers] had a big effect on the LP too, I felt. Juancan gave additional touches to a lot of joints here, including the use of live guitar and synthesizers. Without that we would have lost a lot of the vibe that is now heard on it.

c7: Would you say that you used more live instrumentation in producing this album as opposed to your previous albums?

Juancan: Maybe... I.e. "Counter Clockwise" was created without the use of any samples at all?

Linkan: It depends a little on how you define it too, for example on the last album we had some guitar solos and stuff, whereas here I think the live instrumentation is more incorporated and layered in to the actual beats. "Focus" is a good example...

Akopalips: True, for "Focus" I produced the main track using samples, whereas Juancan created the intro and the beat switch in the middle of the verse playing live guitar.

Juancan: That was a very spontaneous thing too. I was just sitting listening to Isaac and Linkan creating the song, playing a few chords for myself while listening, which lead to the idea of actually building those parts into the song. A lot of things went like that this time, just playing around in the studio until something really interesting happened.

c7: Building up to the release of "Wunderbaum Music", you've released a slew of promo singles not included on the album. What's the back story on tracks like "Paciencia" and "Tha Funk"?

Linkan: "Tha Funk" was never intended for the album as it was originally a track made for a mixtape by the guy that produced it [Odd Goons], but about six months past the record date not much else were done so he scrapped the idea, enabling me to release it as a Side Effectz single.

Akopalips: That was the first track recorded from these sessions too, wasn't it?

Linkan: Yeah, it was that and "Kaddu"... "Paciencia" is a real old track that I recorded at BG Studios. That's why my voice is sounding so different on there, due to the microphone quality.

Juancan: At one point, we actually tried to fit "Paciencia" in to the album, but it didn't work at all, mainly because the quality of the sound and use of different equipment stood so much.

c7: Were there many other tracks recorded for the project that you left on the cutting room floor?

Linkan: No, there's really not much though there's that one joint called "Labor" which we still intend to remix and will come out real dope once it gets the right touch. Originally I also recorded the "Innaspace" vocals over the "Focus" beat, which really didn't work at all.

Akopalips: We have always worked from the model of picking out song concepts that we feel are interesting, before getting to work on them were we try to perfect them. We've never recorded like 30 songs and then created an album from picking out the best ones.

The original plan for "Wunderbaum" however was to make an EP with only four or five tracks, but once we got started on it, a lot of time was invested, birthing ideas and concepts so we felt we might as well add a few more tracks and make it another full-length.

c7: Linkan, you supply all the writing and vocals this time around. What can you tell us about the process?

Linkan: Something that stood out about it was that I got to record a song right after finishing writing it, resulting in a closeness between the subject matter and my vocals which is partially lost if the two processes are separated by too much time.

c7: You've used the same artist, Johanna Isaksson, for this album's artwork as you did for the previous LP. What is it about her style that you feel represents Side Effectz's music so well?

Akopalips: I think her style is spaced-out and surreal, which is very much us. I met her a few years back, and saw some of her artwork and was crazily impressed, telling her how she would be perfect for doing record covers. So when our last record was done, I immediatly thought of Johanna and asked her to do it, feeling that her style would mesh really well with our sound. We gave her some directions in what we wanted for the cover, things that are touched upon on the album in one way or another.

c7: Of much pleasure to many of your followers, this time around we gets to hear Side Effectz on vinyl.  Do you think this will be the standard format for future releases as well?

Linkan: I really hope so! I just hope enough people will cop the vinyl so it'll be worth pressing up. Ever since I first started making music myself, a personal goal has been to release something on wax, so it's a great feeling to finally have accomplished that... So, if everything goes around, the plan is definitely to keep presenting our music on vinyl, since I think our music is better suited for that format and people who may be into digging.

 c7: On a different note, we've heard a couple of singles from "Akopalips Now", a side project that was announced quite some time ago. How's that project coming together?

Akopalips: I will hopefully be able to put it out this winter. It's principally done; all the ideas are there, so I really just need to get it mixed down and hopefully I'll get Mariama too add vocals to a few tracks...

c7: So it won't be a 100 percent instrumental LP as, I believe, you previously had planned?

Akopalips: Well, you'll hear a few voices on there, but it will be more incorporated into the production, there won't be any verses like on "Focus" from Mariama on it but her voice will definitely be a presence that will add more life to the music. It's a very dark album though, which is a huge reason why I'm aiming for a winter release as it definitely wouldn't have felt right presenting it as a summer album.

c7: Linkan, as an emcee, are you also planning on releasing other material, outside of Side Effectz?

Linkan: Hell yeah! I'm not sure how it will materialize, but I got a lot of ideas that doesn't always fit in with what we're doing with Side Effectz. We got our own producers with Juancan and Akopalisp, and we have evolved a certain sound together, so any outside shit will definitely have a very different sound. For instance, I'd like to do more Reagge stuff...

c7: Aight peeps, looking forward to those projects and the show tonight! Last call for shout outs!

Juancan: Yeah, shout outs to Daniel [El Campeon], he's too fucking ill with it!

Linkan: Shout outs to everybody who helped out in any way with the album, and shout outs to all supporters of our music; especially the whole town of Växö who has really been behind us from the start!

SIDE EFFECTZ "Wunderbaum Music" LP Out Now + REVIEW

Side Effectz's "Wunderbaum Music" LP is now finally available to order worldwide through their Bandcamp page for the cheap price of around 7 USD plus shipping from Europe. Last Weekend I went to the release party for this album, where I also picked up the LP, and let me tell you that both the show was pretty damn enormous; crazy crowd participation, the guys killing it on stage, etc. And as far as the actual vinyl, it both looks and sound fantastic. This still underrated trio is about to hit it relatively big soon I'm willing to bet on that so if you're feeling it grab a copy while you still can, because this could very well end up being a true and expensive rarity in a couple of years, much like LoopTroop's early 12":s, EP:s, etc. I had the pleasure of interviewing the guys as well, which should be up on The Lost Tapes in the next couple of days so stay tuned. Until this read my full review of the project below; it's actually one of my favorite releases of this year so far.

 

It's finally hear! After plenty of singles (both album tracks and exclusive joints), several gigs and apperances on radio stations, the Side Effectz's tro third official LP has landed, and its called "Wunderbaum Music". With 10 tracks, and clocking at almost exactly 30 minutes, there's clearly no room for filler here which they also completely stay clear off., You can tell that the trio has worked hard on making sure there's nothing but the absolute best and most fitting to offer their fanbase on here. Everything flows together like a true abum should, it's none of that BS collection of hit songs that's today's ADD riddled iTunes and Spotify kids crave, and despite three producers  are involved in only nine songs (the first is an intro), the group never steer away from the sound that has become their traddemark. The difference is that that sound has never before been truly perfected and sounded so coherrent. Both El Juancan and Akopalips comes through with beats that are both intricate, engaging and "boom baptic". "Red", "Wunderbaum Music", "Stay True", "Sub Zero", "Innaspace" are some of the finest beats not only by Juancan, Akopalips, and  El Campeon has ever made, but also some of the absolute finest hip-hop soundscapes to emerge from Sweden in a very, very long time. 

The Boom Bap apostle himself, the group's emcee Linkan is on fire throughout here, he's made quite the remarkable growth as a rhymer since his debut on "AOTS: The Album"; the group's debut that, while good, at times felt more like a glorified demo tape. Linkan's flow is as exceptional as it is complex, constantly playing with different flows and cadences, utilizing double entendres, and multisyllables, only to in a heartbeat switch to a simpler rhyme scheme, sometime, as on album opener and title track, taking on a strong toasting influenced rhyme style. There's a few ad-libs that sounds out of place and should have been left on the cutting room floor and at a couple of times an experimental flow doesn't quite work, but these are minor stuff and everytime it happens, he jumps right back on track. 

Linkan rhymes for the half-depressed everyday man, reminiscing about his days on the benches with the boys getting wasted, slaving at the factory,  dissing the school system for being corrupt, etc. There are moments of joy shining through though, and when it does it often result in the album's finest moments. On "Red", over a somber Juancan production with a haunting bass melody and matching keys, Linkan takes a trip down memory lane, sharing with his listeners how he first caught the hip-hop bug. On "Focus", which because of its subject matter is an exceptional LP closer, our emcee dedicate the song to his long-time fiancee and the thankfulness he feel to her for giving birth to best joy of his life, a new born baby girl. It's a triumphant song, mainly because of Linkan's soulful performance, but  also because Akopalips gives him a blending backdrop that really captures and elevate the subject matter. The aforementioned song features a singer by the name of Mariam, who is also the album's only guest (save for guestproducer Daniel El Camino). This is definitely a breath of fresh air in today's market where only a few great rappers, i.e. Roc Marciano and OC, does not surround themeselves with as many guest vocalists as the album has tracks. This is another strength of "Wunderbaum Music", even though I like previous guests such as Cap One, S.T.I.C.S., and Antone Mecca, it leaves no question who's running the show here and such a direct spotlight cast a very bright light on Linkan which this time leaves no little question that he's one of the absolute finest emcees Sweden have to over.

"Wunderbaum Music" is a highly recommended listen; every song is nothing but quality, having you think that this is as high it gets, only to be followed by a song that invokes a feeling of hearing something even greater. Since Side Effectz's "A.O.T.S. The Album" in 2008. to 2011:s "The Wood Sessions", their third official album cuts back on anything that might remsemble filler material to create the AOTS crew's finest and most impressive project to date. It's a very smart move to settle for just nine songs and an intro, whereas more material almost certainly would have harmed the overall feeling of the album, despite any additional tracks unlikely being wack. In that vein, it's truly a record that really warrants a front-to-back listen, as each song leds to the next one until the final climax of "Kaddu" and "Focus". All in all, this is by far Linkan's strongest performance on any LP yet, El Juancan's beats are some of the fattest of his entire career (just check the beautiful hip-hop homage "Red" or the breakbeat driven throwback that is "Thunderkings" which apparantly was a beat originally made about 8 years ago). El Akopalip' contributions are the closest five tracks to what we heard on "The Wood Sessions", though there's no questions that he's evolved even further as a producer, and makes a great contrast to Juancan's beats. One thing is for sure, Sweden's hip-hop scene is more alive and kicking than it has been since the emergence of Loop Troop and The Latin Kings, and Side Effectz's and their "Wunderbaum Music" is a testament exactly to that. Take a listen below via their Bandcamp page, where you can also download the 10 tracks for a cheap dollar and order the vinyl almost as cheap. DON'T SLEEP!

 

SIDE EFFECTZ - "Wunderbaum Music" Out Now + REVIEW

Side Effectz's "Wunderbaum Music" LP is now finally available to order worldwide through their Bandcamp page for the cheap price of around 7 USD plus shipping from Europe. Last Weekend I went to the release party for this album, where I also picked up the LP, and let me tell you that both the show was pretty damn enormous; crazy crowd participation, the guys killing it on stage, etc. And as far as the actual vinyl, it both looks and sound fantastic. This still underrated trio is about to hit it relatively big soon I'm willing to bet on that so if you're feeling it grab a copy while you still can, because this could very well end up being a true and expensive rarity in a couple of years, much like LoopTroop's early 12":s, EP:s, etc. I had the pleasure of interviewing the guys as well, which should be up on The Lost Tapes in the next couple of days so stay tuned. Until this read my full review of the project below; it's actually one of my favorite releases of this year so far.

 

It's finally hear! After plenty of singles (both album tracks and exclusive joints), several gigs and apperances on radio stations, the Side Effectz's tro third official LP has landed, and its called "Wunderbaum Music". With 10 tracks, and clocking at almost exactly 30 minutes, there's clearly no room for filler here which they also completely stay clear off., You can tell that the trio has worked hard on making sure there's nothing but the absolute best and most fitting to offer their fanbase on here. Everything flows together like a true abum should, it's none of that BS collection of hit songs that's today's ADD riddled iTunes and Spotify kids crave, and despite three producers  are involved in only nine songs (the first is an intro), the group never steer away from the sound that has become their traddemark. The difference is that that sound has never before been truly perfected and sounded so coherrent. Both El Juancan and Akopalips comes through with beats that are both intricate, engaging and "boom baptic". "Red", "Wunderbaum Music", "Stay True", "Sub Zero", "Innaspace" are some of the finest beats not only by Juancan, Akopalips, and  El Campeon has ever made, but also some of the absolute finest hip-hop soundscapes to emerge from Sweden in a very, very long time. 

The Boom Bap apostle himself, the group's emcee Linkan is on fire throughout here, he's made quite the remarkable growth as a rhymer since his debut on "AOTS: The Album"; the group's debut that, while good, at times felt more like a glorified demo tape. Linkan's flow is as exceptional as it is complex, constantly playing with different flows and cadences, utilizing double entendres, and multisyllables, only to in a heartbeat switch to a simpler rhyme scheme, sometime, as on album opener and title track, taking on a strong toasting influenced rhyme style. There's a few ad-libs that sounds out of place and should have been left on the cutting room floor and at a couple of times an experimental flow doesn't quite work, but these are minor stuff and everytime it happens, he jumps right back on track. 

Linkan rhymes for the half-depressed everyday man, reminiscing about his days on the benches with the boys getting wasted, slaving at the factory,  dissing the school system for being corrupt, etc. There are moments of joy shining through though, and when it does it often result in the album's finest moments. On "Red", over a somber Juancan production with a haunting bass melody and matching keys, Linkan takes a trip down memory lane, sharing with his listeners how he first caught the hip-hop bug. On "Focus", which because of its subject matter is an exceptional LP closer, our emcee dedicate the song to his long-time fiancee and the thankfulness he feel to her for giving birth to best joy of his life, a new born baby girl. It's a triumphant song, mainly because of Linkan's soulful performance, but  also because Akopalips gives him a blending backdrop that really captures and elevate the subject matter. The aforementioned song features a singer by the name of Mariam, who is also the album's only guest (save for guestproducer Daniel El Camino). This is definitely a breath of fresh air in today's market where only a few great rappers, i.e. Roc Marciano and OC, does not surround themeselves with as many guest vocalists as the album has tracks. This is another strength of "Wunderbaum Music", even though I like previous guests such as Cap One, S.T.I.C.S., and Antone Mecca, it leaves no question who's running the show here and such a direct spotlight cast a very bright light on Linkan which this time leaves no little question that he's one of the absolute finest emcees Sweden have to over.

"Wunderbaum Music" is a highly recommended listen; every song is nothing but quality, having you think that this is as high it gets, only to be followed by a song that invokes a feeling of hearing something even greater. Since Side Effectz's "A.O.T.S. The Album" in 2008. to 2011:s "The Wood Sessions", their third official album cuts back on anything that might remsemble filler material to create the AOTS crew's finest and most impressive project to date. It's a very smart move to settle for just nine songs and an intro, whereas more material almost certainly would have harmed the overall feeling of the album, despite any additional tracks unlikely being wack. In that vein, it's truly a record that really warrants a front-to-back listen, as each song leds to the next one until the final climax of "Kaddu" and "Focus". All in all, this is by far Linkan's strongest performance on any LP yet, El Juancan's beats are some of the fattest of his entire career (just check the beautiful hip-hop homage "Red" or the breakbeat driven throwback that is "Thunderkings" which apparantly was a beat originally made about 8 years ago). El Akopalip' contributions are the closest five tracks to what we heard on "The Wood Sessions", though there's no questions that he's evolved even further as a producer, and makes a great contrast to Juancan's beats. One thing is for sure, Sweden's hip-hop scene is more alive and kicking than it has been since the emergence of Loop Troop and The Latin Kings, and Side Effectz's and their "Wunderbaum Music" is a testament exactly to that. Take a listen below via their Bandcamp page, where you can also download the 10 tracks for a cheap dollar and order the vinyl almost as cheap. DON'T SLEEP!

 

[Album] SIDE EFFECTZ - "WUNDERBAUM MUSIC"

It's finally hear! After plenty of singles (both album tracks and exclusive joints), several gigs and apperances on radio stations, the Side Effectz's tro third official LP has landed, and its called "Wunderbaum Music". With 10 tracks, and clocking at almost exactly 30 minutes, there's clearly no room for filler here which they also completely stay clear off., You can tell that the trio has worked hard on making sure there's nothing but the absolute best and most fitting to offer their fanbase on here. Everything flows together like a true abum should, it's none of that BS collection of hit songs that's today's ADD riddled iTunes and Spotify kids crave, and despite three producers  are involved in only nine songs (the first is an intro), the group never steer away from the sound that has become their traddemark. The difference is that that sound has never before been truly perfected and sounded so coherrent. Both El Juancan and Akopalips comes through with beats that are both intricate, engaging and "boom baptic". "Red", "Wunderbaum Music", "Stay True", "Sub Zero", "Innaspace" are some of the finest beats not only by Juancan, Akopalips, and  El Campeon has ever made, but also some of the absolute finest hip-hop soundscapes to emerge from Sweden in a very, very long time. 

The Boom Bap apostle himself, the group's emcee Linkan is on fire throughout here, he's made quite the remarkable growth as a rhymer since his debut on "AOTS: The Album"; the group's debut that, while good, at times felt more like a glorified demo tape. Linkan's flow is as exceptional as it is complex, constantly playing with different flows and cadences, utilizing double entendres, and multisyllables, only to in a heartbeat switch to a simpler rhyme scheme, sometime, as on album opener and title track, taking on a strong toasting influenced rhyme style. There's a few ad-libs that sounds out of place and should have been left on the cutting room floor and at a couple of times an experimental flow doesn't quite work, but these are minor stuff and everytime it happens, he jumps right back on track. 

Linkan rhymes for the half-depressed everyday man, reminiscing about his days on the benches with the boys getting wasted, slaving at the factory,  dissing the school system for being corrupt, etc. There are moments of joy shining through though, and when it does it often result in the album's finest moments. On "Red", over a somber Juancan production with a haunting bass melody and matching keys, Linkan takes a trip down memory lane, sharing with his listeners how he first caught the hip-hop bug. On "Focus", which because of its subject matter is an exceptional LP closer, our emcee dedicate the song to his long-time fiancee and the thankfulness he feel to her for giving birth to best joy of his life, a new born baby girl. It's a triumphant song, mainly because of Linkan's soulful performance, but  also because Akopalips gives him a blending backdrop that really captures and elevate the subject matter. The aforementioned song features a singer by the name of Mariam, who is also the album's only guest (save for guestproducer Daniel El Camino). This is definitely a breath of fresh air in today's market where only a few great rappers, i.e. Roc Marciano and OC, does not surround themeselves with as many guest vocalists as the album has tracks. This is another strength of "Wunderbaum Music", even though I like previous guests such as Cap One, S.T.I.C.S., and Antone Mecca, it leaves no question who's running the show here and such a direct spotlight cast a very bright light on Linkan which this time leaves no little question that he's one of the absolute finest emcees Sweden have to over.

"Wunderbaum Music" is a highly recommended listen; every song is nothing but quality, having you think that this is as high it gets, only to be followed by a song that invokes a feeling of hearing something even greater. Since Side Effectz's "A.O.T.S. The Album" in 2008. to 2011:s "The Wood Sessions", their third official album cuts back on anything that might remsemble filler material to create the AOTS crew's finest and most impressive project to date. It's a very smart move to settle for just nine songs and an intro, whereas more material almost certainly would have harmed the overall feeling of the album, despite any additional tracks unlikely being wack. In that vein, it's truly a record that really warrants a front-to-back listen, as each song leds to the next one until the final climax of "Kaddu" and "Focus". All in all, this is by far Linkan's strongest performance on any LP yet, El Juancan's beats are some of the fattest of his entire career (just check the beautiful hip-hop homage "Red" or the breakbeat driven throwback that is "Thunderkings" which apparantly was a beat originally made about 8 years ago). El Akopalip' contributions are the closest five tracks to what we heard on "The Wood Sessions", though there's no questions that he's evolved even further as a producer, and makes a great contrast to Juancan's beats. One thing is for sure, Sweden's hip-hop scene is more alive and kicking than it has been since the emergence of Loop Troop and The Latin Kings, and Side Effectz's and their "Wunderbaum Music" is a testament exactly to that. Take a listen below via their Bandcamp page, where you can also download the 10 tracks for a cheap dollar. The vinyl copies is available on Monday! 

Side Effectz - "Paciencia"

As a final appetizer before the release of "Wunderbaum Music", Linkan and the gang releases the exclusive track "Paciencia" to the net. The new album is available on iTunes and Spotify this Wednesday, followed by the official vinyl on June 15.

[Video] SIDE EFFECTZ - "Sub Zero"

Side Effectz's third album "Wunderbaum Music" hits in digital form via iTunes and Spotify on June 5. Vinyl heads will get their first taste of Side Effectz wax only two days later when the 10 track project drops on 12". Having had the pleasure of getting an early preview of the material, I can tell you that this is in my opinion the Swedish trio's finest and most ambitious release to date; what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality all the way! The latest single to get the visual treatment is "Sub Zero", produced by El Akopalips, performed by Linkan, directed by Marcus, with a chilling, not to say haunting, cameo by the mythical AsfaltAllan.

Side Effectz - "Everyday Masquerade"

The Side Effectz crew and their AOTS repping fat tapes continue to drop on a regular basis; just last week we saw the very competent video to the marvellous "Stay True", a month or two before we had the Old School NY flirt on "Tha Funk"; and now the trio drops another one to get you hype for "Wunderbaum Music", the 10-track album that Side's been working on for the last year, which is finally about to see an official release this year in both digital and on vinyl. Between June 5 and 7, both versions will be available, with the wax out on the 7:th. Stay tuned for both an interview on the new project coming very soon right here at The Lost Tapes, and also for more info on how to order the physical project. Oh, by the way, just like "The Funk" or "Kaddu", the production is handled neither by the group's in-house beatheads Akopalips, or El Juancan, but rather by a young up-and-coming soundsmith who goes by the name of Superius Prod.Turn it up...... A Little Louder!!

[Video] SIDE EFFECTZ - "Stay True"

Side Effectz's are back with "Stay True", the lead single from the trio's anticipated "Wunderbaum Music", out on wax and digital early this summer. El Juancan delivers a real slamming track, which Linkan rips accordingly... Quality shit as usual!

[Video] AKOPALIPS - "27 de Febrero"

Side Effectz's Isaac "Akopalips" Vasquez sends one out to the victims of the earthquake in Chile on February 27, 2010. "27 de Febrero" is lifted from his upcoming full-length solo debut, the instrumental "Akopalips Now!" which he's been working on for quite some time and will most certainly be a project to count on.

SIDE EFFECTZ - "Tha Funk"

The trio known as Side Effectz recently completed their follow-up to 2010's "The Wood Session". The 10 tracks strong album has been given the title "Wunderbaum Music" and will be available on both vinyl and digitally this June so keep your eyes and ears open! One joint that will not appear on the project is the old school flirt "Tha Funk" which blows a lot of recent shit straight out the water. It's tha FUNK baby!

SIDE EFFECTZ - "THA FUNK"

Side Effectz - "Stay True"

The consistant Side Effectz trio unlocks another dope single with the Juancan-produced "Stay True". This is lifted from the forthcoming "Wunderbaum Music", which will be available early next year so keep your ears open. I noticed that embeded Soundcloud links has been acting up today, so in case you don't see anything below click here to listen.