Tuesday 29 December 2020

The Plastic Attack MASSIVE Trivia Quiz

 Greetings one and all.

Apologies for the lack of action around here lately. I'm tempted to blame it on That Thing but truth is I just don't use this platform any longer - and neither do many others any more, either authors or readers.

However, I thought I'd just mention this to anyone who doesn't use Facebook because you may want to get in on this.
You may be aware (I've mentioned it many times before) of The Plastic Attack Radio Show with DJ Laz-e. It runs every Friday evening on https://theplasticattack.com from 9pm and plays what I consider a really well-thought-out music mix - everything from old school rap, Golden Age, Electro to disco and funk breaks and Yacht Rock classics. Basically, anything that the right-minded DJ would play in a club.
Laz-e will also perform some of the illest blends you're ever likely to hear as well.

Right. Have I sold it to you yet?
If not then wait until you hear this.

On Wednesday 30th December The Plastic Attack will be having a quiz.
The reason you want to keep reading is this - the prizes. ONE person will be taking home EVERYTHING as the winner. This is huge.

What's up for grabs?

Ken Swift (autographed) Break Life hat & glasses.
Johnny Juice (Public Enemy), The Oddysy (feat: Chuck D) - Bang Bang, 12" (autographed).
Dj Flip (I.T.F. World Scratch Champion) - Dj Flip E.P. (autographed).
Shabba-Doo "Breakin" 11x14 (autographed) poster.
Mr Wave (NYC Breakers) - Mr Wave t-shirt.
Dj Elemental - 3 x t-shirts (Onreal, Tricore, Cool Synth).
L.G. 1 x set of (12) Dig Mags.
1 x (rare) A1 size, Ultramagnetic MC's poster.
1 x "Live On Air" (cassette).
Egyptian Lover - Egypt Egypt (triangle) 7", with hand drawn artwork by Egyptian Lover.
Egyptian Lover - New Pyramix Party (autographed) CD.
Dj Undercover: Hijack - Doing what we wonna Do, (autographed) 12"
All City Records t-shirt, plus 2 x releases from the All City catalogue.
3 x (rare) Tim Dog CD's.
Shambles (New album) +The Nemesis EP.
2 x Shambles Records t-shirts.
MC Globe (Soul Sonic Force) personalized answering message for your phone.
Man Parrish (Boogie Down Bronx) will master a track for the winner (provided, they are a recording artist).
 
Have you got that?!
Live on air this Wednesday 30th December, The Plastic Attack!
 
(Not sure if this'll work but here's a video of Laz-e himself reading out the prizes -https://fb.watch/2Hkp7z1Q8Z/ )

Oh, and Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!
Repo
 
*EDIT*
Well, whadyaknow? I only went and won the damn competition!
I'll post up photos of the booty as and when.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday 20 July 2020

Haynesy - Freedom of Speech New Album

Hard to believe but there was a long wilderness where Haynesy was simply twiddling his thumbs and longing for the far off days of the SLR crew. Fast-forward to 2020 and you’ll find him still twiddling his thumbs, but now they are busy tweaking all sorts of options on his DAW bringing back the magic. After last year’s ‘Dope Beat Biz Volume 1’ Haynesy is continuing his audio blitz on the UK rap scene and this time has enlisted the help of wordsmith, JD (Will Sayer) on vocals.

Freedom Of Speech comes with 11 tracks which sound hugely pumped up with some phat mastering. You will need a pair of decent speakers or at least some fine-sounding headphones to appreciate the work gone into them - laptop listening should not even be considered.
I have always been about the beats so that is what I check for first. While there are no out-and-out classic breaks employed on Freedom Of Speech, the beats here are solid crackers with an abundance of brassy parps littered all around to make a sturdy foundation for JD’s melodious thunk with his sing-song rhyme style patter.

Talking of an unyielding base, the rigid beats that Haynesy has produced make Jabbathekut’s job so much easier. He slides over the drums with ease making the turntables sing a song of starving styluses being fed freshly-cooked rhythms. He’s certainly not being shunned either and in fact the DJ in this instance is pushed right into the spotlight just to remind you that turntablism is indeed one of the cornerstones of hip-hop.

The best part of having listened to a new album is when certain chorus refrains continue to linger in the cranium later when you’re doing the dishes or walking the dog. The cinematic rush of ‘Mullets’, the sax (and ‘whoops’) of ‘No Matter What’ or the ATCQ-reminiscence of ‘Something To Say’ are just some examples of why the set sounds better with repeated listens.
Would it be predictable to exclaim that ‘he’s done it again!’ with this latest album? It’s the first thought that comes to mind to these ears and it will be a sad day if it doesn’t.

Freedom Of Speech is available on August 3rd from all wholesome digital platforms as well as via Qrates for the vinyl collectors. Full-colour sleeve design artwork is provided by the ever-reliable digitalDyer.

For more Haynesy visit his Bandcamp page (https://fatman.bandcamp.com/)

Tracklisting:

01 On Your Feet
02 Bass & the Treble
03 Freight Train
04 No Matter What
05 Mullets
06 Tell Em
07 Scream & Shout
08 Pedigree
09 Melody
10 Something To Say
11 Change

Friday 17 July 2020

Run DMC & GM Flash Dioramas

Saw these on ETSY the other day. They look great but I'd file them under 'stuff that I'd love but probably stick in a drawer and never look at again for years'.
They are 3D pop-up cards. Nice.




Or there's this one which is a Build-Your-Own Toy Record Shop!

Thursday 28 May 2020

ABU Podcast 73 - May 2020


Nope, we're not dead just yet.
Tune in at 9pm Thursday 28th May 2020 to Disco Scratch Radio here for our brand-new Podcast.
Two hours of classic hip-hop, funk and wackness as per usual, hosted by Repo.

Details of how to listen are here where you can also see how to join the live chatroom which is where half the fun lies.

Hope to see you there. If not then the DL will be up shortly.

Peace,
Repo

UPDATE
Here's the show. Either stream it here below or go directly to the Hearthis website and listen there.
The tracklist is in the comments underneath this post.
N.b. Eagle-eyed/eared listeners may notice that the interview with 'DAZZ' that was originally broadcast on Disco Scratch has now been removed. Sorry, but it was shit. No idea what I was thinking when I did that. It won't happen again.



Tuesday 5 May 2020

Olas Un Bekons Returns

The marvelous music-sharing blog, Olas Un Bekons, is back.
High-quality MP3/FLAC files of loads of hip hop from the 80s to the 2000s is on offer and just a click away.
Janka runs this and keeps things streamlined like a muthafluffa. Check it on the daily here: https://olasunbekonshiphopblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 21 April 2020

Near Mint tee

LOVEGROVE DESIGNS have another fresh tee to keep you vinyl heads sorted.

Head over HERE to see the details and purchase. But hurry up as time is of the essence. One week left to order and then they're gone.

Sunday 19 April 2020

Celluloid - The Electro Years + Any Requests?

I thought that I'd start putting up some albums and bits for download while we're all stuck in isolation.
However they will only be available for ONE WEEK before the link becomes invalid.
To kick off, we have one of the era's best underground arty electro labels, Celluloid. This is a compilation called Celluloid - The Electro Years - Why Is It Fresh and features some of the best songs from the label's defining years.
There's an interesting oddity in there, too. Track #7 'D.J. Mixer' is a collection of electronic sounds, beats and acapella voices. I'm pretty sure the majority are from a 1982 12" called 'Konk Party'.








01 Crazy Cuts (Long Version) Intro.mp3
02 Grandmixer Cuts It Up!.mp3
03 The Roxy.mp3
04 The Wildstyle (Instrumental Mix).mp3
05 Mean Machine (Dub Version).mp3
06 Crazy Cuts (Long Dub).mp3
07 D.J. Mixers.mp3
08 Une Sale Histoire Part 2 (Male Version).mp3
09 Shango Message (Edit_Instrumental).mp3
10 Mean Machine.mp3
11 The Escapades Of Futura 2000 (The Escapades Rap).mp3
12 Mega-Mix II (Why Is It Fresh).mp3



Remember, it's only here for a week.
If you have any REQUESTS for future albums then put them in the comments and I'll see if I have them but don't request the same album if you missed it already.

Celluloid - The Electro Years - Why Is It Fresh (1998)

Monday 3 February 2020

Album Review - Dweller - Record Of Achievement


One sentiment I hear a lot these days, mostly from the mature hip-hop fan incidentally, is that hip-hop is dead. Or rap died in the Nineties.
Anyone in possession of even half an ear could point you in the direction of some decent ish, you just have to dig a little deeper is all.
To whit, this new piece of wax from a man hailing from the North - Greater Manchester if we're being right and exact - and not afraid to wear his regional heart proudly on his sleeve. His upcoming album, Record Of Achievement, is the result of the blood, sweat and tears of two years of personal struggles making life choices that can only come about from having the determination and confidence to make the switch to the unknown. Has this gamble paid off? Only a fool would release a half-hearted collection of beats hoping they'd do the business and expect to hit paydirt. One listen to RoA and immediately you can hear the time and effort exuding in layer upon layer from the heartfelt, 'grown-up' lyrics to the sultry jazz licks that engulf the loops and rhythms.

My first foray into the world of Dweller was relatively recently when I heard him guesting on a couple of tracks on Haynesy's Dope Beat Biz Volume 1 (2019). With this full-length project Dweller now has room to stretch his legs and speak on anything his lips care to fall on. Whether it's bringing up the problem of stress ('World On My Shoulders'), supporting family ('Breadwinner') or an ode to the missus ('Queen of English'). Braggadocio is minimal, knowledge is subliminal.
Overall the album is filled with smooth, jazzy riffs and snappy snares with cool choruses to keep the earworm community alive and thriving. One of my favourite albums of the 1990s is Digable Planets' 'Reachin' (1993, Pendulum Records) and RoA reminded me a lot of it in parts.
It's honest and unapologetically humble whilst simultaneously audacious with the production - I can't think of the last time I heard snatches of Ellen DeGeneres, 'Frasier' or 'IT Crowd' over hip-hop beats.
This album is a definite headphone experience - late at night, rum & Coke, comfy chair. Your ears will thank you.

At this point it's worth noting that the album is not actually ready to snatch just yet. This isn't K-Tel and it isn't available in all good record shops. Dweller is self-releasing it via the crowdfunding route. To order a copy you will need to go to https://qrates.com/projects/19712?fbclid=IwAR1eTYfsI7VF_ZvGviwRt84uzUH3F-4sjdp2r5DD2tdS8cFjkps5DRnPQcU whereupon you can become a backer of the project. Only 100 punters (or 50 DJs!) need to open their wallets and this dream can become a reality.
With help from Lomax, Batfunk, Mastarblastar, Jonny Capicola and Ex-P, this album is so very worthy of your time. A lot has gone into it and it clearly shows.

Thursday 30 January 2020

Closed Caption Craziness: Wild Style on Amazon Prime Video

"Mamacita rock your nuts..."

As the title suggests, Wild Style is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video at the moment (free with Prime).
I thought I'd give it a go seeing as it had been a while since I last watched it all the way through. But something struck me. I watched it with subtitles on and it soon became clear to me that whoever's job it was to do them clearly had no clue what Wild Style, or even hip-hop culture and history, was about.
I hereby present to you the frankly odd utterings and bizarre translations of an Amazon employee who probably didn't understand the wholly historical importance of the task they had been given.

THE REALNESS - "Crime does not pay"

Here we go and already things have taken a strange turn. The opening credits have just run and we're about to get back to the action. Fab 5 Freddy oversaw the soundtrack although I don't recall any stories of him inserting subliminal voices into the songs attesting to his greatness.

 THE REALNESS -"..because 'MC' stands for Mic Control.."

Eh? Why would you run from mic control? It doesn't even make sense! Then again perhaps if you'd never grasped the basics of holding and using a microphone onstage then you might have a wobble.

THE REALNESS - "And like, Mickey Mouse, the Son of Sam"

Equating New York City's 1970s serial killer, David Berkowitz aka the Son of Sam to Looney Tunes' cuddly, rootin'-tootin', diminutive, firebrand, Yosemite Sam is a bit of a reach if you ask me. Although in retrospect he was rather handy with his six-shooter so who knows what he did after filming had finished at the studio. It's a lonely life in the movie business. Restless nights, sick of all the neverending fans all wanting a piece of you. I wouldn't blame him.

THE REALNESS - "Chief Rocker Busy Bee"

 *Sigh*.


 THE REALNESS - "And the way I shock the house for the young ladies"

*SPLUTTER!!* Without even addressing the intricacies of the differences between language on both sides of 'the pond' this just looks so, so wrong.
However if you recall, they are on their way to the hotel in the Limo and we know that shenanigans are to be had (that's if Mr Bee can stop spelling out bleedin' B's with his dollar bills all over the bed first) so maybe this delicate sexual practice is on the cards.
Lucky Lisa Lee, says I.


 THE REALNESS - errrrrrr?

This one requires VAR or somesuch as I'm not entirely sure if this is the proper line or not. Until now I always thought it was, "and I'll dog your face".
Upon looking at what I've just typed I'm feeling quite sheepish now.

 THE REALNESS - "Now just get on the mic and take command"

Dota Rock (RIP), who introduces the next in line, Ruby D, seems to think he's in The Blue Oyster rather than at The Dixie.

 THE REALNESS - "And if you wanna know why they call me Whip"

"Whimp"? Pretty bold insult to throw around especially as KRS-One once remarked back in the days when he wasn't sticking up for alleged kiddie-fiddlers, if you pop that junk up in the Bronx you might not live.
This subtitle mishap is doubly confusing as the text "Whipper Whip" has been used correctly otherwise all throughout the song so why suddenly change tact now?

 THE REALNESS - "All the def MCs, Double Trouble..."

This switcheroo actually helps to convey the greatness and splendid rhyming skills of all the performers who are about to appear at the Ampitheater at the end of the movie. Freddy is busy handing out flyers to the neighbourhood kids (albeit the ones still able to walk or breathe after being crushed by the impromptu crowd who pushed Patti A's broken down car) doing his hard sell patter.
Good work, Subtitle fella!

 THE REALNESS - "I'm MC Dota Rock, sho 'nuff, sureshot"

Well, peel my tangerines! Just as we were on the up, SubtitleFella throws this into the mix.
We have now arrived at the Ampitheater Jam and the Fantastic Five are bounding up to begin their set on the stage. Dota Rock throws down first with a bit of braggadocio rap which has confused the hell out of Subtitling Simon.

 THE REALNESS - "Ruby D is my name and you can't deny"

 THE REALNESS - "That I'm slick as a ... but all the way live"

Another one that I'm not 100% sure of but I'm willing to put money on the fact that it's not "prick". 'Prince', maybe?

 THE REALNESS - "Just rockin' the house, can you realise?"

This could be a valiant attempt by Ruby D in trying to sort the crowd back into nice, uniform lines after they've been bouncing around all boisterous-like and got themselves all out of kilter.




And so we reach the end of the film. Roll credits. By now the work experience lad in Amazon’s Subtitles Dept really could not give one more hoot as it’s Friday afternoon and he's on a promise with Dirty Debs in Wetherspoons later on.

Wild Style. The film that keeps on giving.

Peace,
Repo


If you have Amazon's Prime Video service then try this link to watch the film yourself:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wild-Style-Lee-Quinones/dp/B07V6ZSLHX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=wild+style&qid=1580126098&s=instant-video&sr=1-1


Friday 17 January 2020

Random Rap Radio & DIG Mag - Live On Air


Only three weeks into the new year and warrior of style, Mr LG under the guise of  the wonderful DIG Mag drops this bombshell.
Teaming up with another ABU regular, Irish Craig going under his hot-as-balls Random Rap Radio moniker, LG is about to release 'Live On Air', a compilation of (as well as being a truly affectionate ode to) some very rare radio performances.
You may have heard these back in the day but chances are you probably didn't. These performances were played once and only once on the radio and then would have been deleted or at best, archived for a while and then trashed by the radio stations.
However if it were not for the nerd-like talents and savvy reflexes of one man then these recordings may well have been lost forever. Craig from RRR, if you are not aware, has been providing us with many hip-hop radio shows from yesteryear which he has ripped from his own recorded cassettes for a while now. This new release on the DIG Mag label is a collection of all-new unearthed audio all put together in a superb cut 'n' paste fashion of seamless editing from one performance of freestyles to the next.

To order and for more info go here >>>> BOOM!














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