Toah Dynamite
Cops Hate Our Love
"This is an acid trip!” someone intones between tales of oversleeping and missing World Wars 3&4, cycling and drowning, (‘head and water don’t mix’). Further down the line over various squawks and bumps there’s pentecostal 5-a-side football, old men’s faces and why that red moon is a foot moon. Toah Dynamite are a kind of home-brew Wu-Tang Clan, a collective of seven oddly-monikered individuals who also make up the roster on the Invisible Spies label. (See Supreme Vagabond Craftsman article for full cast line-up).
This is hilairious, rural english hip-hop overlaid with spontaneous non-sequitarial chanting, intoning, rapping and singing. Recorded at home, these are the sort of neighbours who scare the piss out of whole streets while maintaining a politeness native to the countryside.
Chunks of it sound like the bits that linked old hip-hop records, Mac and Murdoch Memorial is Dr. Dre wearing nappies and playing in a sandpit. It’s followed by Drug Songs For The Irish which is Clannad at Nuremburg. And Pentecostal Quids In shafts Sting with some vigour.
It all sounds like some massive in-joke and if you’ve got any sense you’ll pretend you’ve got it. Is this what goes on in children’s heads? This is the kind of laughter that starts echoing.
Jack Tractor
Big Eyes
I See Creatures EP
Inpenetrably sombre offering from the instrumental sextet. Gentle Neck, the first track, moves into marathon territory for the ensemble, clocking in at four and a half minutes of darkly, beautiful Spanish / Catalan contemplation. It ends oddly enough with what sounds like the merest hint of acoustic feedback which we’re not sure even exists. Espresso coffee is a good analogy for this single. Dark, sweet and bitter all at the same time and served in tiny portions which are just enough to catch a flavour and no more. The art of enough is enough and enough’s a feast. A good omen for the forthcoming album which will feature a collaboration with the mighty Terry Edwards. Big Eyes are parts of the classical orchestar which survive the train wreck and carry on writing the soundtrack to their own demise. Lovely.
Jack Tractor
Mark Stoney
The Amber EP
All three tracks have been taken from last year’s Amber album and provide a good overview of what Mark’s up to. The title track is a jaunty pop tune with a pretty instant melody, pleasantly wordy lyrics sung choirboy sweet, which deal with either stalled ambition or the afterlife. The chorus jumps out at you with a nifty horn barrage in the middle and wins all sorts prizes for containing the word ‘discombobulated’. But it’s the first track, How Can I Ask You Again that’s won it all sorts of radio play (apparently Mark and Lard are pretty fond of it). A much darker effort, perhaps like a more lo-fi Martin Grech and without looking over Radiohead’s shoulder We like it because it could fit well into the mainstream without having to jump through hoops. It’s classy songwriting that’s personal but still populist.
Jack Tractor
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Supafix
Jonsong
Supafix sum up the vibe of Sheffield's ware-house parties of yesteryear perfectly, with an EP of raw twisted spaced-out House. "Jomsong" takes pulsing beats, a coarse evil synth, a heavy dub influenced bass and dancehall FXed vocals on a sparse basement rocking ride. "Swinger Riddim" sees the beats stumble over each other, as keys haunt and a bass lies low. The wonderfully titled "Jam Buttie" rips it up, courtesy of tearing stabs, a confused synth, a compelling ragga style swaggering bass and uncompromising breaks. Funkasize" is an explosive violent bass addled stormer, with metallic percussion, desiring vocals and a pitch- black synth.
John Freer
New Releases
Toah Dynamite
Big Eyes
Mark Stoney
Supafix
January 2003
S004