Up and Coming - Pariah

With 22 year old post-dubstep musician James Blake fresh on the scene, the search for underground electronic and dubstep-orientated music is at a high. Looking for the next big thing? R&S Records (James Blake) is the place to look. One of the up and coming artists on their current roster is producer Pariah (Arthur Cayzer) How to describe his sound? Maybe ambient, post-dubstep, techno, dub, hip-hop, garage...ish fits the bill?


Taking major influence from ambient dubstep artist Burial, the London producer has released his debut EP, Safehouses. An album filled soulful tempo changing bass lines and tracks with carefully selected vocal samples, that make you want to contort out of sheer brilliance. A year prior to that saw the release of his first single Detroit Falls. Extremely varied to anything on the current EP. How to describe it?..let's just say it's a heavily influenced J Dilla hip hop groove, sampled by a vintage R&B tune, swung into a tripping dub-step track with a Jay Orbison approach..more or less.


With only a top EP to class his brilliance on, 2012 hopes to see more releases from this London Uni undergraduate.




Buy 'Safehouses' EP - http://randsrecords.greedbag.com/buy/safehouses-ep-1/
Buy 'Detroit Falls' - http://randsrecords.greedbag.com/buy/detroit-falls-0/

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

FINALLY! After a five year wait, the Chili Pepper’s have blessed us with their tenth studio album and I can tell you it’s a banger. It’s the first album to feature Frusciante’s replacement Josh Klinghoffer. To most RHCP fans the absence of Frusciante’s complex guitar talents and lengthy solos is noticeable, but despite that the core element that is the Red Hot Chili Peppers hasn’t died out. The funk ridden bass lines and the mouth full lyrics is something that will never disappear. Anthems such as “Factory of Faith” make you want to shout out the chorus at the top of your lungs, more mellow songs that you can just get baked on like “Meet me at the corner” or the fast pace and upbeat “Goodbye Hooray” make you want to roundhouse kick your mother in the face! 


However, despite the album's brilliance, it's no Blood Sugar Sex Magik or Californication. There couldn't have been a better replacement, however Klinghoffer isn't no Frusciante. But as Chad Smith states "this is a new band. Same name, but it's a new band" Regardless of that, it's still a really good record. Can't wait to see what the 'new' Chili Peppers bring out in the future.


7/10


Daniel Mburu - 12/01/2012

Luke Leighfield - Have You Got Heart (2009)

2009 saw the third full album release from Southampton keys mastermind and heartthrob Luke Leighfield. 'Have You Got Heart' is a pop-filled, feel good, piano riffing album.

'Have You Got Heart' is the album you'd play, volume full on in your car, speeding down the M1 with the roof down on a sunny August afternoon on the way home after visiting your beloved Nan. Tracks like 'By My Side' and 'Have You Got Heart' are the kind of songs you'd sing along to when no one's looking, whereas tracks like 'Every Day' are the more sombre anthems, which lyrically are more profound.

Leighfield gets better with every release and this personally, is his best so far. It's mix of upbeat and optimistic melodies with the mix of distorted guitars, rock filled bass lines and double pedal drum kits sets high expectations for the under-rated Southampton piano man. Hopefully, 2012 will be his year, I of all people sure hope so.

7.1/10

Daniel Mburu - 9/01/2012

Deaf Havana - Fools and Worthless Liars

After the sudden and unexpected departure of the band's main vocalist Ryan Mellor, the now quartet decided to carry on with their love of music and in Nov 2011 saw the release of their new full album 'Fools and Worthless Liars' after nearly three years after 'Meet Me Halfway At least' was the talk of the town.


The album opens up with 'The past six years' which may come as somewhat of a surprise to previous Deaf Havana metal fans. It's narrative and heartfelt lyrics sung by vocalist James Veck-Gilodi, talks about how his friends have grown up whilst he's still unemployable, the band is still grafting away trying to achieve more recognition and his perpetual bitterness and jealousy towards friends Mike (Lower Than Atlantis) and John (Young Guns) in terms of what they've achieved compared to himself.


The whole album is a collection of stories from part of James' life and growing up which is a massive change of direction from their earlier work. Other tracks in the album such as 'I'm A Bore, Mostly' talks about James' humdrum daily routine whilst living in London, 'Hunstanton Pier' references his close friend who sadly passed away and also how all of his friends and family have all accepted the fact that they're now adults whilst he (James) still tries to bring out his childhood for as long as he can. 


Since we first laid our ears on 'Smiles All Around', we knew these weren't the same boys who once sung that song about friends. Over the past three years they've matured greatly and have produced a belter of an album with meaning and such sensitivity. It's good to know that with maturity, writing a great rock album hasn't escaped Deaf Havana and Fools and Worthless Liars is a prime example of that.


7.3/10


Daniel Mburu - 8/01/12