| I heard a great hip-hop record last week. Two days later it arrived in the mail to review. Lucky me! Enter Curse ov Dialect, a five-member team from Melbourne, Australia featuring Raceless, Vulk Makedonski, Aturungi, August the 2nd and Dj Paso Bionic. Most reviewers of this album point to quality production and multi-cultural influences. It's been described as "feel good" and "like watching four different movies at once." This is all true. What I'd like to add is that the lyrics are sharp, the composition is exceptional, and the rhythm of the album as a whole is like a well written book - full of interesting dialog, sparks of dramatic intrigue, and moments of pensive reflection. It's experimental beats, samples, and sounds are typical of Mush's output (Jel, Aesop Rock, Busdriver, Daedelus, and Radioinactive to name a few), as are the intelligent and political lyrics. "Don't go writin' in your schoolbook sonny / We want you to play football / Don't be writin' in your school book sonny / Don't go writin at all / We want you to play football sonny / We want you to kick the ball / So don't go writin in your school book sonny / Or you'll be the next to fall." Curse ov Dialect is fast with a rich combination of contrast, harmony, and style. It's this combination that sets them apart. Musical influences stem from roots reggae and dancehall, Philly soul, drum & bass breaks, and even some British folk and prog rock, as well as traditional hip-hop beats (if one could say there is "traditional" hip-hop). But they aren't just influenced, they are inventive and creative and at times find a new sound, a sound that will surely influence others. Likewise, lyrically they are diverse, moving from sing-song-y chorals to ultra tight emcee free-for-alls, a difficult feat they seem to glide through effortlessly. "Family Assorted" my favorite cut on the record, is borderline epic. At 9:12 it's a non-stop party track, featuring nineteen emcees including four females, Lioness, Beatrix, Kali, and Little G (Rare, word to lady emcees!). It also has sound bytes from the Middle East and The History of Psychedelic Folk from the UK. (Raceless told me he thought it was the Trees). The track highlights their diversity of style and influence in an extraordinary and powerful way and is easily worth the full price of the record. Lost in the Real Sky is a keeper, and maybe even a must have, for any underground hip-hop fan - East and West Coast alike. And honestly I find their message to be all coast as Curse ov Dialect does a good job of rising above the many socially constructed barriers that divide us. One love. - Repellent |
2XLP/Out Of Print