Hudson Mohawk – Polyfolk Dance EP (Warp) 12”

This is a six track mini album / EP from Aqua-Crunk beat master Hudson Mohawk and his debut on prolific, always on the button bleepy label Warp. Hud Mo brings some playful fun with Polyfolk Dance.

As you would expect from an Aquatic Crunk based bleep and beat instrumental Hip-hop EP it’s all off kilter and messed up, like you want to dance but you’ve got your wonk on and can’t stand up straight.

Every track on the EP is full of hooks and joyous energy, it’s no chilled out affair I can tell you that for free. The A-Side opens up with, ‘Polkadot Blues’ which has a mad high end spinning sound that ushers it in before the beats drop and the bass kicks. Helium vocal snippets get chopped and spaced around the messed up groves, it’s a bit like a day out at the fair ground, you know candy floss, bright lights and stuff spinning around.

Next up on this excitable slab is, ‘Monde’ has a similar vibe to the opener with toy town synths but with a slower groove, some epic chords and a little slap bass. This all opens up into a really sublime and hypnotic groove that just draws you in and gets so addictive. If this stuff is just a sample of what’s to come then Hudson Mohawk is going to be on fire this year.

‘Overnight’ comes in like all of UGK’s and Outkast’s beats put together, you know that Euphoric Southen Hip-hop boom bass and kick, knocked sideways and spat out for a hands in the air dance around that gives you a huge shit eating grin that just makes your face ache a little.

Half way through and it’s all to good to be true, flip it to the B-Side and let the needle glide, I’ll stop now.

The flip kicks off with a really mad rhythm called, ‘Speed Stick’ it makes you feel a little drunk as it skips then flows towards you. Twinkley synths, crashing drums and plucked up orchestral strings give it an Eski beat gone wrong feel.

Another high-pitched vocal sample proliferates, ‘Velvet Peel’ the drums really do remind me of UGK this time especial the sublime, ‘International Players Anthem’ but with added wonk and shuffle. The synths are really fresh and they sprinkle over you like gleaming shards. It’s a joy to hear.

Now how the hell can you finish an EP this quality? Well go even more insane I guess, Bring in the electro drums and ere darkness. ‘Yonard’ just just that by coming on like a sparkly bleepyer version of Rustie’s ‘Jag The Smack’ or something like that anyway.

It’s so good to see the UK really pushing hip-hop instrumentals forward like this. Hudson Hohwak sound like he has a lot to give and Polyfolk Dance shows this in bucket loads. He brings together the ambient wonk of Flying Lotus, the Southern boom of UGK and the Electro madness of Rustie along with a really playful and unique vibe of his own. Grab it, put it on and fall over while you dance.

http://www.myspace.com/hudsonmo

Flying Lotus – L.A. EP 1 x 3

This wonderful 12” dropped through my door today, and I’m pretty excited to hear it that I can tell you for sure. It’s the first EP in a set of three and FlyLo has limited them to 2000 worldwide so it’s pretty damn exclusive. The artwork is in the same vain as the Los Angeles album with the big freaky metallic stuff. And I got the coolest purple Warp Records pin badge in with the package. Put the needle on the record baby…

L.A. EP 1 starts with Sleepy Dinosaur from the Los Angeles LP on the A side. Each side of the 12” starts with a familiar track off L.A. then whacks us with exclusive new material. Sleepy Dinosaur is a treat with skippy beats and jazz chords all warped up in that unmistakable FlyLo aquatic hip-hop way. Rickshaw is the first exclusive slab on this here wax, it loops Indian sitars and vocals over the top of a low slung dirty as hell bassline, and beats. This can be heard on The Do-Over mix FlyLo did and I posted the other day. The last track on side A is My Chippy its got a 8-bit blip to it like someone playing a dancehall, crunk version of space invaders, underwater of course this is FlyLo we are talking about. Flip it…

Side B kicks off with Los Angeles slab Robertaflack (Feat. Dolly) the sweet soul vocal and jazz sampling wonky bass freak banger. I love this tune its one of my favourite from L.A. and sets off side B nicely. Paper Crane Gang is next up and brings the third exclusive to the 12”. The beats are wicked on this one real leaning low slung and dirty with the most melancholic filtered synth line on top, it’s a beautiful track that reminds me of Warp records of the past. Interference is the final tune and it’s another excellent one, full of more skipping beats and massive bass sounds. A creaky vocal snippet from some kind of computer obviously not handling the underwater conditions very well sounds pretty cool. As does the booming dancehall vibe mixed with windy tones, excellent, not unlike the sound I imagine drowning Mr Ozio would sound like, I don’t recommend finding out mind.

That concludes the listening of L.A. EP 1 x 3 and FlyLo has done it again with yet more excellent instrumental hip-hop with that of kilter vibe to it he does so well. The tracks compliment the Los Angeles LP very well indeed and could have easily made the cut if FlyLo so wished. Another slice for the heads then as he trailblazes the underground dance scene. Warp has done well in signing this talent and I wait with baited breath, not unlike having to hold my head under water, for the next instalment of EP’s.