Fliptrix : Out The Box

‘Fuck the trendsetter, I be the peacekeeper’.

From the intricate fractal geometries that adorn Out The Box‘s cover art, to the title’s allusion to expanded awareness; it’s clear that the man with the mind behind High Focus Records isn’t shy when it comes to penning esoteric verses steeped in deep content. April sees Fliptrix re-release his 2010 project Theory Of Rhyme on double vinyl, and begin to build momentum for his forthcoming Polyhymnia album by dropping Out The Box, a new collaboration project with South London-based DJ and producer Rebs. This ill remix LP features reinterpretations of 6 of tracks taken from the essential Third Eye Of The Storm album; along with 6 new previously-unreleased songs that illustrate the change in perspective the meditative MC has undergone over recent years.

Much more than an interim release, Out The Box finds the duo devising musical remedies for the modern Hip Hop listener; with cleansing sounds that reinvent the original songs. Reb’s remix of Chemo’s haunting strings on The Storm switches your receiver, taking your perception of the content from Michael Ruppert-style harbingers of cataclysm to messages of hope in the face of adversity. Soundscapes has a similar effect, as Farma G’s bars sound out even clearer over Reb’s otherworldly piano stabs, and Fliptrix’ transcendental chorus lines emerge revitalized and renewed by the remix process. The first new track Smoke Rings is the best on the album; Reb’s simple beat is melodically fulfilling and heavy on that old boom bap stomp, while Fliptrix’s lyrical alignment with peace dominates his heartfelt delivery; with clever use of metaphor, ‘never will I be the fireplace without the coal in’  and intricate rhyme schemes; ‘twilight embarks on the dawn of reality, my thoughts spawn from a sparkle of a fractal dream, rap and beat brought together by the tractor beams, words will travel round the globe, defy gravity.’ Reb’s dub selection skills nearly top the future-garage vibes of Kontigo’s original on The Essence. With Flipz at his most honest and beats that bang this hard, the tune holds the potential to spark off your club night or accompany you on a solitary search for soul purpose, as you reflect on ‘what happened to fun without drugs, and how come everyone fucks but don’t love?’ 

If you’re in the UK you probably remember Rising’s riotous rhymes on Sammy B Side’s Wordplay Mag mix a few issues ago; the tune packs party-vibes for days with short bursts of verse, and a chorus so huge it could accommodate whole families. Duppying The Style is confident and lyrically creative; with imagery and rhyme schemes that were prevalent on his first few albums, and the title track keeps things upbeat as Rebs draws from the same sample source Illinformed used for Brothers Of The Stone; with Fliptrix channelling a chorus sure to set you smashing mental boxes for fruits of wisdom like Crash Bandicoot on the hunt for apples. His references to the vibrational reality of the universe measured through cymatics and JFK as ‘the only real president’ demonstrate his skill for subtly sign-posting paths towards truth for the listener, using synchronicity-style invitations that always manifest humbly; ‘Do this for a greater reason, my divine purpose, truth hides beneath the surface when I’m writing verses, third eye alignment, vibration’s perfect, time is everything and nothing but it’s never worthless.’ Fan favourite Wylin’ Out gets a mellow make-over as energetic verses course over Reb’s oriental sounds, before Runone’s original Nothing’s Quite As It Seems reincarnates with mystic harp riffs winding through the maze of cryptic content contained in the first verse. Verb T flows slightly less obscure, with standardly clever wordplay and effortlessly inventive flow patterns that hold jewels; ‘Thoughts take strange shape like a mutant, manifest physically, some as pollutants.’

Mutantz  energetic flow crackles with anger towards the system, buffered by complicated bars that keep their underlying message simmering beneath the surface. Reb’s inventive sampling gives way to a more computerized cadence on Walk this Way, marking the only miss on an otherwise hitting LP; but still boasts a nimble verse from Bristol-based MC, Buggsy and some cool electro chatter that elevates the chorus. As the album draws to a close, the sombre sounds on Ashes To Ashes find Flipz briefly turning his attention away from the earth, and towards the more business-motivated churnings of the world; addressing the vacant state we’ve been nulled into that finds the majority ‘addicted to consumerism, purchasing to fill the void‘, then posing the poignant question ‘How come humans used to look so beautiful? now every day it’s like their dressing for a funeral, pessimistic state, grey aura in a cubicle.‘

The huge shift Fliptrix made from Third Eye Of The Storm‘s tentative spiritual references still somewhat mired in negativity, to an an almost ego-less cosmic consciousness on The Road To The Interdimensional Piff Highway previously seemed enough of a jump to give Graham Hancock new material; but now with Out The Box the HF figurehead has provided us that missing mental link; and more importantly created an album of hugely enjoyable songs as his spiritually-transcendent, socially prescient lyrics take residence over Reb’s mellow instrumentals.

Pre-order the album at the High Focus website here, or on itunes here in anticipation for it’s release on April 14th. Get it before the official release date by buying the Theory Of Rhyme double vinyl.

5/5

Peace.

 

Review: Brothers Of The Stone.

” Everybody wear a mask and they don’t even know it, so scared of being themselves, they wont even show it. “

If  you do anything today, go and buy this album. For fans of classic head nodding Boom Bap from some of the best MC’s in the UK it’s a no-brainer; for the autodidact’s it’s an affirmation of a whole bunch of good shit you’re either already thinking or on the path to finding within yourself. Mostly it’s rare in it’s absolute honesty, positivity and personal accountability. Every beat kills, without exception. All I’d heard of Illinformed before this was the ‘More Weed Money Beat Tape’, which was smooth; but this is next level. I’m pretty sure between the hours him and Leaf put in, they could keep the whole UK in ill beats for the next year. His samples are still smooth as hell, butcleaner and neater without being sterile in any way. The first Seven tracks are uplifting, soulful, and delicately executed, then the second half of the album is varied and darker, but retains it’s groove and most importantly, keeps your neck snapping throughout. I was close to flat out moshing round the garden, the beats slap that hard. TRY to play it without screwing your face up and rocking back and forth: it’s impossible.

” ‘You Need to get a hit, you need to make a club banger’: Nah, we tighten raw hip hop with a rusty spanner. ” 

I’ve been following High Focus since ‘Nature’s Greatest Mystery’, and for me this is up there with ‘From A Scarecrow’s Perspective’ and ‘The Road To The Interdimensional Piff Highway’ as one of labels most complete and fulfilling releases. There’s room to dig about in the music, new lessons to take and revisit, and the guests are so exciting I spent the last month just sittin’ there imagining what ‘Future’ would sound like. I wasn’t dissapointed; it’s amazing, and a message so worth saying it’s crazy you don’t hear it more often. KRS-One is as inspiring as ever, his verse reminding me of ‘The Power Of The Future’ audio lessons. (Check them HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50a9eavrBIM ) Fellow member of KRS’s ‘Temple Of Hip Hop’ Beast 1333 manages to not come on too historically heavy and fact-laden, and keeps it practical with his advice; adding a much needed addendum to the old adage with: ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you strong, AS LONG AS YOU LEARN’. Bang on. Each guest spot is made even cooler by the fact that none of the guest’s were bought, all were as a result of beat trades or a mutual love for the art.

 

‘Take Control’ Is an ode to flippin the bad to good practically and mentally, reminding us we’re as negative at times as we are positive, and how necessary both are. The line ‘Tell my boss to FUCK OFF, lose the job I did have, sniff drugs, ’til im braindead with a piss bag’ hasn’t failed to make me genuinely laugh yet and I’ve had this on all weekend. Vinnie Paz’s guest on the dark, cinematic, western ‘Meditation’ is perfectly raspy and menacing in the best way Paz can be. ‘Drug Vultures’ rings true to anyone who knows, again, promoting responsibility and another big message you don’t hear enough of in UK Hip Hop. Every time you ‘get’ a message, you realize it’s not even preachy, they’ve perfected the art of imparting knowledge from personal experience without judging others; a fucking hard thing to master. ‘Burning My Soul’ is set to become an anthem for the underground; it’s everything me and every fan of UK Hip Hop feels in just over Four Minutes and fitting re dedication to the movement. Fliptrix changes up his flow again for his guest spot, sounding like he’s rapping in slow motion when he first comes in! It’s always nice to hear him play with flow and try new things musically, as always he says more in a sixteen than most do in an album.

The Two MC’s balance each other like any good duo should. If Leaf’s the red eyed philosopher, stringing together metaphysics in-between huge zoots and incessant beat making; BVA is the down-to-earth tour guide, the every-man spittin’ reality from a real angle, with wit and an indefatigable energy. ‘Both Wicks’ addresses making ends meet whilst trying to be fulfilled creatively; something that many in the scene wouldn’t give up their ego to do. It’s not all smashin cans into you at Lakota and freestylin with your mates, it’s work, sacrifice and dedication. His flow rides easier now too, he’s knitting it tighter than ever before. You can hear it in ‘Go Hate’, in ‘Meditation’; the progress is audible from “They can’t see me like they’re in the room i’m gettin high in” on the Four Owls debut to “all my actions cause reactions and satisfaction” on ‘Wisdom’. His growth and clear embrace of the positive is a great thing to hear.

 

Sometimes in life you find a book or an album exactly when you need it. This album’s content is that for me at this time. Leaf Dog has always been coming with raw, honest real music but with this set of lyrics he’s speaking for anyone, anywhere. He’s found truths that we all find; and relayed the lessons he’s learnt. This is what Hip Hop started as; a way to hear the truth that you’re not gettin anywhere else. For the listener, depending on who he or she is, the words will undoubtedly have you laughing in agreement, going ‘ahh’ in realization, or being forced to open your mind; to entertain the possibility that true happiness can be found outside of the standardized avenues modern british society offers. It’s an album from PEOPLE. Not ‘rappers’. Not ‘big names in the UK scene’ or whatever, labels aside; it’s an honest account from people struggling with, and enjoying life. That’s why the message is universal. The only thing that’s guna top this for me is the new Four Owls.

5/5.

Buy it from: http://shop.high-focus.com/product/brothers-of-the-stone-cd-pre-order.

Someone in the know tell me if the white things on the back island on the cover are Kodama from Princess Mononoke!!

Peace.