Australia may not be known as a hip-hop nation, but that may change after the audacious debut from this Melbourne crew. That it has come out of Mush should be an indication that it isn't heavy on boasts about Benjamins and booty. Instead this multicultural quintet of four emcees and Dj Paso Bionic fits snugly into the Sun Ra/punk rock/Spike Jones carnival of sounds, a hyper collage aesthetic of playfulness and unpredictability similar to those of the Anticon imprint.
But whereas some of the Mush acts can be accused of affecting a slacker mentality, Curse ov Dialect is too busy taking its country to task for its racist mentality, past and present, particularly in its treatment of the Aboriginal peoples and its legacy as a former British colony on tracks like on "The Truth About Tasmania" and the "Curse ov the Vulk Makedonski." Not simply content to be Australia's Public Enemy, firing off political missives, like all jaded observers, the group is guardedly optimistic, and tracks like "Shamans" and "Hidden Fantasy" lay out its view of peaceful, non-racist, equalitarian society. At a time when avant/post-hop can be accused of indulging in its own aesthetic trappings, Curse ov Dialect is a bracing reminder that conscious-raising hip-hop doesn't have to be dour and po-faced. In the tradition of Public Enemy, it can free your ass as well as your mind. - Grooves |
2XLP/Out Of Print