[Review] K-DEF - "NIGHT SHIFT"

 

One of the main differences between good music and great music is that the latter will take you places, shut out your problems and completely consume your mind. K-Def’s music has been taking listeners on amazing journeys for almost two decades now and his latest release “Night Shift” certainly continues the tradition. This is music created during late night shifts and therefore bares all the trademarks of the night. It is often dark in nature and packs a dreamlike and introspective tone, often built around deep basslines. Those familiar with the brilliant sneak peak that was the “For Def’s Sake” 7-inch knows what to expect.

Fittingly to the concept, the album kicks off with “Escapism” - a remake of Pete Rock’s classic tune of the same name. Here, K-Def manages to not only make it his own while keeping the essentials of the piece; he also makes a fifteen year old masterpiece sound like a brand new song even to those who grew up on Pete Rock beats. Interestingly enough it also features a rare appearance by emcee Rob-O, one of the credited writers of the original song, who makes his presence known through two serious verses. K-Def compliments the vocals by building up a gritty sound collage of knocking drums, atmospheric vocals and the signature trumpet hook of the original, but it’s the heavy but melodic bassline that really defines the music here.

On the flipside we find a similarly inspired vocal performance by Raw Poetic who joins Def on the surprisingly up-tempo piece “Night Owls”. The funkiness is evident on here as it’s a record that’s all about the groove; something K-Def knows a whole lot about since his work with Lords of the Underground and others. Complete with a strong hook that might very well have you singing along, I could almost hear this one blasting in the club.

K-Def - From Da Brain by Redefinition Records

The remaining, larger part of the project is made up of gripping instrumental work, something that over the last few years have proven to be one of the producer’s strongest trades. “Night Shift”, however, stands as his finest and most convincing foray into the arts of the vocal-less hip-hop LP so far. As I mentioned earlier great music will take you places which is something a solid vocal performance can help with immensely. With instrumental records you’re going to need something equally moving to catch the listener’s interest and keep it throughout a song or an album. K-Def got this formula on lock here as he never allows the music to simply just drag along; he knows when to switch things up, where to add new instruments to the mix and what sounds should be riding the frontline.

One of the treats of the EP is the many different sounds that ‘Def brings to the table. “From Da Brain” has its roots in jazz and uses a hard break underlining a brilliant piano solo that sweeps the listener along much in the same way that a skilled emcee should do. “Indian Juice” is as dope as it’s short and is an interesting take on the meeting between Indian folk music and hip-hop beats. It’s a concept previously visited on Madlib’s Beat Konducta series but K-Def’s try comes off as more natural and more core hip-hop than anything from that LP.

"Sparkle" and "Super Heath" are both dreamy pieces that captures the night vibe the title references perfectly. On both tracks K-Def makes use of the vibraphone as the "soloist instrument" to great effect. The latter will definitely be reminiscent of Q-Tip's work on Nas' classic "One Love", but is in fact a tribute to the original Heath Brother's song rather than a remake of Tip's version. To create something this close to the original source, which of course was created by an entire group, with an all digital set-up and without the use of any samples is more than remarkable.

K-Def - Supa Heath (LP Version) by Redefinition Records
 Following the eight tracks featured on the vinyl, the other formats includes four extra bonus joints that fits right at home with the rest of the EP and are similairly introspective instrumentals. It doesn't bother me at all that I've heard these tracks uncountable times already as they have a timeless quality to them. My favorite of these is "Times Change" which is one of the most breathtaking works I ever heard from K-Def. The production is extremely layered and rich, with several equally interesting themes following each other. An array of different sounds from woodwinds, guitars, horns, vibes and vocal clips contribute to form a musical statement that mirrors the movements of time and the seasons of the year.

Complete with bonus tracks, K-Def has with "Night Shift" released his most defining solo project yet. There's plenty of stuff on here that will guarantee use of the rewind button as all the pieces are standouts with their own identity; something many producers fail at when creating complete instrumental works. Being that it's so short it does however leave a big appetite for more, and I can't help to think that only a couple more songs of the same quality would have bumped it up from brilliant EP to fantastic album. With that being said, this review is for what's on the disc and not what's not on it and by simply judging the music this mini album comes damn close to a perfect score. One also got to give it up to Redefinition Records for the sick artwork, packaging and the fact that it's being released on three diferent formats. "Night Shift" is available worldwide on December 13, you can order a copy on 12", cassette or CD here.

K-DEF's 10 Favorite Sample Flips

Ego Trip has hooked up with Lost Tapes favorite K-Def to bring us his ten favorite sample flips of all time which makes for an interesting articles which also features sound clips of all the tracks mentioned. Included are classics by Public Enemy, M.O.P., Biz Markie, Tribe, Real Live and others. K-Def's soon-to-be-released "Night Shift" EP has been in constant rotation for me since I first got it (check for the review tomorrow) so this article was a refreshing read.

K-DEF @ EGOTRIPLAND

Prince Paul: The Stories Behind The Classics

Complex Magazine just published another article in their brilliant series of legendary producers breaking down the science behind their classic records. Featured here are Paul's words on nineteen selections but the article is labeled as Part 1 so we can expect at least an equal amount for later. This part deals with the producer's older work, especially the De La Soul records between '89 and '91 plus additional joints by 3rd Bass, Stetsasonic, Queen Latifah and Big Daddy Kane. Salute to Complex for this one!

PRINCE PAUL TELLS ALL @ COMPLEX

DJ Greyboy & AG - "Hidden Crates"

In 1998 P-Jay Records released a 12" single featuring the two tracks "Hidden Crate" and "Hold Mines" with an artist labeled as The Giant. These were both slamming solo tracks by D.I.T.C.'s AG and both produced by talented DJ Greyboy who provided a sinister but laidback BX sound which perfectly mirrored A's style. In fact, it seems that the artist were so pleased with these joints he and Show even included them both on the CD reissue of their "Full Scale EP" in 2002.

Apparantly they even recorded a music video for the A-side "Hidden Crate" but it was first released about a week ago. I wonder if it's supposed to be so short, since it cuts off during The Giant's second verse, which is a shame since that is a classic AG verse (brilliant shit). The single included no instrumentals but only a street and a clean version for both tracks; both street versions also appeared on the CD I mentioned above but for those who might've missed these gems I thought it was a good idea to upload them together with the video. The video is directed by Ben Wolfhinson and the song produced by Greyboy and co-produced by Rob Dyrdek.

A: "HIDDEN CRATE"
B: "HOLD MINES"

KRS-ONE - "AzTechnical"

Here's the third single from KRS-One's 20th official album, now titled "Just Like That" and given a release date on January 4th next year. The song is called "AzTechnical" and is absolutely fucking brilliant; KRS-One once again proves why he's one of the greatest writers of our time as he gives us his perspective on the prophecies about December 12, 2012. Much truth being spat in these two verses and I'm definitely down with what he's saying. Make sure to go and read the emcee's full letter for the video description @ YouTube.

Also notice that this is the third song from the upcoming LP that's produced by Kris's old P.N.C., Mad Lion. I've really been feeling all the music he's been supplying for these tracks and considering the artist's recent trend of doing one MC / one producer albums, I say that Mad Lion will most likely lace the entire thing.

In The House with SIDE EFFECTZ

Followers of The Lost Tapes should be aware of Side Effectz presence on the underground scene this year. For those still not in the know, Side Effectz are a true school sounding trio that releases music with emphasis on sample-based beats and lyrics with substance. Through their own imprint, AOTS Entertainment, the group released their second official album earlier this year. "The Wood Sessions" showcases their passion for the vintage hip-hop music they grow up on as producers Juancan and Akopalips with emcee Linkan delivered an LP that hopefuly, and deservedly, will gain them a larger following. Without stepping out on a limb I dare to say that Side Effectz are the most interesting export from Sweden's hip-hop scene since Loop Troop debuted.

Last week I spent an evening with Juancan and Linkan talking about their latest album and the process that went into the music on it. Unfortunately, Akopalips couldn't make the interview session but I managed to get a few quick questions answered by him via phone so it's all good. Besides the publication of this exclusive interview, The Lost Tapes is today also proud to premiere the group's brand new video for the song "Chop Trees". Enjoy!

claaa7: For those not yet initiated, could you give us a quick introduction to who Side Effectz are and what defines the music y’all make?

Linkan: Side Effectz is Linkan on the mic, Juancan on production and Akopalips on beats and turntables. We're basically 3 guys with a true passion and love for hiphop, and good music in general. We're all about doing our own thing and bringing the AOTS flavor into everything we do. We're not concerned with trends and bullshit.

c7: I know a lot of heads have been waiting on the release of your second album, “The Wood Sessions”, for quite some time now. How long did the recording process take and what changes did the music go through?

Juancan: The first song for the project was recorded somewhere in 2008 so about three years all in all. Among the first records we did was “Same Shit…”, “Moonshine” and “Heigher Heights”.  When it all was said and done, the songs that made the final cut were also those that had changed the least.

Linkan: The album has gone through a shit load of changes throughout the years we’ve been working on it. Many of the songs have transformed over time. “Depp” is a good example. I originally wrote that back in 2008 but between then and the final version you hear on the album, it has gone through several stages. We ended up using the original vocals but the beat is completely different. The concept of the song is something I really could relate to at the time I wrote it and first recorded it which led to the original vocal take being the best.

c7: You debuted in 2008 with”AOTS: The Album”, since then a lot of things has happened. What would y’all say is the main difference between the first and second LP?

Juancan: You got the factor of growing older and naturally evolving as a musician and as a human. 

The resources we had when we recorded our debut were far more limited and as of that the ambition wasn’t as high. We really wanted to get something out there. “AOTS: The Album” ended up being a heavy record too though.

This time around I wasn’t as involved in the physical process of laying down vocals and handling production duties but I’ve still been a major part of the creative process. It’s still very much a team effort, it’s still Side Effectz as a group and that’s what matters. I consider myself a producer first and although I’ve kicked a verse every now and then, I always felt that I could identify myself a lot more with being behind the music which is why you don't hear any verses by me on this one.

Linkan: I think we’ve always had the beats on lock but I feel that I’ve grown a lot as a lyricist since we first debuted. Overall the sound is bigger and better as far as the mix and mastering and the lyrics are tighter.

With “The Wood Sessions” pretty much the entire album, and the entire recording of it, were handled by us. From the lyrics, to the beats, to the mixing – all of that is 100 percent Side Effectz. We originally started working in an outside studio together with an engineer that we’d met. The thing that happened was that we never could agree on the way the mixes sounded, and at the end of the day we took a decision to handle it on our own as well.

c7: Another thing that stood out to me was the use of a live guitarist on a few of the tracks. How did that go down?

Linkan: Zeko [Pelivani] was around when we recorded the album and worked on it in the sense of being a studio engineer. One time during recording he just picked up his guitar and kicked it and we could instantly tell how great it sounded on “Moonshine” and “Lovesick”. It was a definite keep.

c7: What would you say is your favorite verse on the album and what song, overall, means the most to you?

Linkan: "Lovesick", I really dig the entire concept and the way the metaphors are used. My guess is that it's not a song you'll get entirely the first time you hear it.

 

Juancan: For me it's “K.Y.D.A.” – there’s a lot of power to that song and it fits damn well on the album. I like the intro, the changes and switches in the production, the lyrics and so forth. Overall, it's the perfect intro to the LP.

c7: One of the joints that stood out to me was “H20”. What was the concept behind that?

Linkan: It’s a concept song about how water is divided in the world in an unbelievably unfair way. Here in Sweden it’s a basic thing that you hardly reflect on whereas in large areas of the world there's a huge need for it while it's something we all need to survive.

c7: As a strong believer in the original LP format I was pleased that the album clocks in at roughly forty minutes with ten songs (plus three interludes). Was it a conscious choice to avoid filler and bullshit by arranging it that wayt?

Linkan: We could definitely have made it longer; there were records we entirely cut to not fuck up the flow of the album. We wanted to make sure we could guarantee a great listen from beginning to end.

c7: Previous to the album you released a mixtape with CAP who is also one of the featured guest lyricists on the album. Are there any plans for recording an entire project together?

Juancan: We haven’t really thought in those patterns yet, but we are all close and companions so it’s very likely that you’re going to hear more songs from us together in the future.

[We interrupt our conversation to call up Akopalips.]

c7: As opposed to your debut album, what do you think stands out about "The Wood Sessions"?

Akopalips: We all have grown as both artists and persons since then which in turn has helped us find and develop our own sound. Thereby the confidence in ourselves and our music has grown too.

c7: You did the majority of the beats for this album. Tell me a little about the way you produce your records; what do you use, etc.

Akopalips: What I use to produce a certain record really depends on my mood for the day and what I'm aiming for. Often it's the MPC1000 combined with Reason.

Of course there's much crate digging going down too. There's alot of Latin American music in my collection which is something that always been around me and influenced me.

As far as this album goes, the thing that' took the longest is the mixing and mastering. I was never satisfied when we had others to do it so the logical choice for me was to take it on myself. And I'm a straight up perfectionist haha!

c7: One of the guests on the LP who you also worked with on the preceeding mixtape was S.T.I.C.S. How did that collaboration happen?

Akopalips: He liked our music and reached out and one thing lead to another. Besides the two tracks released so far we've got some stuff in the stash that you'll probably get to hear real soon.

c7: Nice! So last but not least, what cut off the LP are you most happy with?

Akopalips: That'd be "Same Shit, Different Toilet".

c7: What can we expect next from Side Effectz?

Linkan: Right now we're trying to make sure to get as many gigs as possible and maximize the promotion for “The Wood Sessions”. As far as music goes, a project titled “LoTech Original” with local producer A-Dub is in the plans.

c7: Any special influences that helped you in finding your sound?

Linkan: Too many! Everything from Wu-Tang’s old shit to records by Bo Hansson and Bob Marley plus ill books and wack TV-shows [has been an influence on our sound].

Juancan: “Enter the Wu-Tang” still stands as one of my main influences, and especially RZA’s production on it. I also listen to a lot of movie scores, Ennio Morricones sound has been a huge influence on my music.

c7: Any last words or shout-outs?

Linkan: Shout outs to all the homies in V-Town, rest in peace Kaddu and Slick Rick!! AOTS!

Juancan: To my boys in Side Effectz, let’s keep on killing it!!

To cop music and check out more information about the group visit Side Effectz Music.

SLICK RICK x DJ PREMIER

This collaboration is definitely something a whole lot heads have been wanting to happen for years. Compared to back in the day, Slick Rick hardly releases anything these days but whenever we gets to hear a new verse from him he always prove that he's still more than holding up. Of course with DJ Premier on the beat this one is especially banging. Besides no real Year Round records this year I'm impressed by the amount of hot joints our favorite DJ has banged out in 2011. The song is lifted from the soundtrack to the upcomming flick "The Sitter".

SLICK RICK - "NEED A BAD"

BLU - "Clean Hand" (w. Pete Rock)

Blu gives one out for free to his Twitter fans with this Pete Rock produced track called "The Clean Hand". Judging by what he says in the post, he's got a few batches of Pete Rock beat CD's at hands which makes additional collaborations likely. Nice!

BLU - "THE CLEAN HAND"

Dres & Jarobi are... EVITAN

Dres and Jarobi, legends of the Native Tounges crew, are joining forces under the name of EVITAN and are planing a soon-to-be-titled album together in the coming year. The first single is already available now however, and with "P.T.I. (Occupy Wall Street)" they manage to create by far the best song I've heard on the subject. I'm a bit suprised by how deep Dres' voice sounds these days but as usual he kills competition!

"“The 99% need to have not just a voice, but voices,” says Dres on what inspired he and Jarobi to write the song. “We need to have more voices that speak to our plight beyond what is given to us via the media.” And despite the logistical difficulties, Dres and Jarobi were adamant about shooting the video amongst the OWS protesters, noting that they “couldn’t be soldiers and not see the front line.”"

Damu The Fudgemunk - "Faster Rhyme..."

DC's own super-producer Damu the Fudgemunk delivers another winning vinyl exclusive for Redefinition Records (where he's also the co-owner). Besides beat and scratches he also deliver some bars for this one, although instrumental needs are also met on the B-side. The 7" single is limited to 225 copies so if you want your copy you better hurry over to the REDEF Shop and make a move.

DAMU The FUDGEMUNK - "FASTER RHYME FOR SELF"