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MH-010 Jel - The Meat & Oil EP  The companion piece to Jel's critically acclaimed Mush full-length, 10 Seconds is the twenty minute hip-hop instrumental, The Meat & Oil EP. Targeted to hip-hop DJs as well as underground listeners, the Anticon beatmaker's trademark SP-1200 drum chopping skills are in full effect, as he blends funk and rock samples with electronics and found sounds Americana from television commercials, newscasts, and radio. Examining the American dream with a questioning mind, family values, soccer moms, the cattle industry, and oil conglomerates are all left bruised and battered as Jel adds another success to a series of impressive releases. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Rhythmically rich - Synthesis |
| Reviews | |
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| Jel is the beat master of Anticon. The Meat & Oil EP is his latest release on the happening Mush label. It is considered to be underground hip-hop, but that title is misleading as there are no vocals, and there are many types of music influencing the sounds of Jel. The first track on the "Meat" side is "Media Mom Saves the Day." On this track Jel uses a lot of advertisements, and news samples talking about national security and terror. There is a fuzz guitar that that reminds me of the UK band Sand (one of Soul Jazz Records interesting signings with a This Heat inspired sound). "Media Mom Saves the Day" has someone blowing a rock harmonica like the glory days of the J. Geils Band. "Shed Those McValues" is based on a one-two bass part almost like a Martin Denny track. There is an accompanying synth that sounds like a cello. It has a lazy sound that makes it seem like urban tropical music. The "Oil" side starts off with "The Livestock Rock." The song begins with a slow buildup to what at first sounds like a reverb drenched surf instrumental that might be on a Messer Chups (the Russian band) album. Once the song is established it becomes a mid-paced instrumental based on the chordless melody of the guitar. The song ends with the tape being slowed down. "Petroleum Jel" ends the EP. It starts with a slow beat under rapid Afrobeat percussion. A guitar with the amplifier set to heavy tremolo begins to layer over the percussion. A brief vocal sample of a toaster gets echo treatment to match the guitar's tremolo. The track ends with a sample of a hip-hop radio Dj announcing. When I bought The Meat & Oil EP I did not know who Jel was. I broke the shrink-wrap and listened to the EP in the store. I liked what I heard. The production is fairly rough, but it only serves to lend a natural feel to the tracks on the EP. The graphics were halfway between the 90's indie band Star Pimp and the illustrations that used to appear on Jello Biafra projects. There is no info on this record's jacket, so I half thought it was a new Jello Biafra project. The sounds on this EP are very interesting and will interest fans of many genres of music. - Gullbuy |
1XEP/Out Of Print