Classic Day – Mystic Creep
There is some unexplained attraction to death and the midnight marauders that invaded the dreams, or rather nightmares of the underground hip-hop scene in the 90’s. With a force that seemed almost otherworldly at the time, Three 6 Mafia, Triple Six Mafia, 666 Mafia, any way they were sliced; were a hurricane in the foundation of rap. Stemming from the south, their distorted bass, rapid-fire machine gun lyrics, and graveyard instrumentals were a catalyst for a whole current wave of artists to follow.
Koopsta Knicca had moderate success with his first solo tape that was exclusively produced by DJ Paul, another member of Three 6 Mafia. But it was the digital remaster of his first tape released under the name Da Devil’s Playground: Underground Tape (1994) which then saw a name change as Da Devil’s Playground: Underground Solo Tape. For it was the lyrical styling and production that made Koopsta Knicca relatable to Three 6 Mafia and the consistent references to dark magic, sacrifice, and Satan that makes Da Devil’s Playground stand tall as a monumental underground hit.
“Robbers, they hang in the hood where they ride clean. Stang-Stangin’ like a bumblebee with my .45 G-L-O-C-K” creates the chorus/hook on “Robbers” where the 808’s are sudden and create this mosh pit of hellish sound. Koopsta Knicca’s vocals however are often higher pitched and rely on the production to create the actual sinister sense. His lyrics are rugged, but his approach is almost a perfect rear-facing confliction that works to form this perfect arch. He is almost comedic in the way that he describes through tracks “Front A Busta” or “Anna Got Me Clickin’” in the vocal samples that drone on and reflect a direct line of that hardcore rap style.
As Gangsta Blac explains, “Lock, lock you in the fucking trunk while I hit the fucking bong. Now, now I’m going crazy man, all I see is blood…” Koopsta Knicca comes swinging in, “Creeping through them parks and running them bitches up out them boulevards, this that type of shit that’ll make you click to get your ass in.” The method and direction is fairly clear on Da Devil’s Playground as the forming fog wraps around the listener and drags them down to this unknown hell.
Rising from the graveyards, Koopsta Knicca is a deadly as a chrome .45 hidden in the suit jacket. With the manipulation that comes from the frightening display of synth chords that carry him into the afterlife. Or it could be the way that he rides through the darkness in an all white gleamed gloss, Koopsta Knicca is one of the more important displays coming from hip-hop’s history.
Listen To Da Devil’s Playground Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
Misc. Day – No Power, No Peace
From the moment that the sudden smash and grab technique that comes from Entry’s No Relief, there is a tone change in the room. From the calming sense of nothingness, to the urgent rush of circle pits that match the overbearing ability of Entry’s weighted punishment.
There is not much of a silence that comes from Entry as there is always some movement behind their sound. With the opening track “Secrets”, motion is the key element of the hardcore punk band’s grasp. The attraction to their aggression and the identity comes from the gasping screams of their frontwoman that handles the vocal aspects as the band behind her comes crashing through and destroying whatever lies in their wake. It is something that the early punk bands could create and then bands following like Entry could build upon and start to form their own style.
With energy of an atom bomb, No Relief is over in around 7-minutes, just barely hitting the 20-second mark as the six-track release boils over and bleeds track into track. Entry works each piece to form an extended flow that covers in a continuous method of belligerent attack. As each turn floods in with the slam of percussion and ripping guitar, “Identity”, “Humanity”, and “You Thought Wrong” takes the final moments of the record and brings Entry to a familiar, headstrong assault. The star of No Relief comes with the way that Entry can take no prisoners behind their sound, unleashing a horde of blast beats and vocal heavy performances to create a whirlwind of capability. Hearing the way that the snare is in a constant rumble behind the bass that quickly maneuvers to constrict along with the other instruments is a hardcore joy.
There is no hope behind the way that Entry conducts themselves on No Relief,but somehow they are a guilty pleasure. Touring their way through the shock wave of wonder and showing no sense of becoming haltered, Entry takes that hardcore element to a forefront and uses it to search and crush on No Relief.
Listen To No Relief Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/iTunes
New Music – Ten Toes In The Deep
The Californian sub-rock outlet Thee Oh Sees come swinging into the game with a ball of fire under their seats on their newest piece of mangled work, Smote Reverser. Frequently, Thee Oh Sees have been on the radar for their frantic influx of heavy droning tracks of sporadic sound that transpose standard forms. They are an outlet in which music is a loose adaptation that becomes manipulated throughout the wild ride of their previous releases.
Smote Reverser is the newest love child of John Dwyer, Tim Hellman, Dan Rincon, and Paul Quattrone who formally go under the name of just Oh Sees, losing the Thee for another time. With the Castle Face Records brand standing tall behind them, Oh Sees are the old-timers on the block with a career spanning nearly 20-years in total. Through multiple line-up changes, shifts to the sound, and with a new interface and change of paint; Thee Oh Sees are ready to conquer the world through one continent at a time.
Opening with the ambient work of “Sentient Oona” that holds the lock and key to the real madness that is Oh Sees’ remaining discography. There is an overbearing sense of enlightenment that shines through as the bass chords start to vibrate the walls and the backbone of the listener. With the quiet vocal performance that is higher pitched, along with the wolfpack of whistling that becomes the calling card of “Sentient Oona”, the curtain draws back to reveal a twisted beast of both desire and ugliness within Smote Reverser.
Almost instantly the rush of unapologetic performance comes from Oh Sees, but something is slightly different on Smote Reverser. The playing field has been shifted so that the pieces of Oh Sees feel more digestible and hidden. As the pieces are set in motion, the band starts to form the killing blows of sudden segues into rampages and outbursts that keep the listener on their toes at all points of the record. It was one of the first records from a familiar band that had this kind of directionless drive toward an ultimate end that feels elongated throughout the centers that is covered by the introduction and outro.
The entire album blends together into one flowing track that is covered by the pauses between tracks to break the movement. This form is perfect for the way that Oh Seescan operate as they continue to break the form, realign, and ultimately crash through the layering. As the blood starts to rush with tracks “Overthrown” or “Abysmal Urn”, Oh Sees make quick work of the adaptability of the band. As they form into the new walls of almost raging rock, the band is steady on their increase and does not miss a step throughout Smote Reverser.
The hour long journey is then met with a somber shuffle out into the void as the incoming synths and bass opens the Oh Sees wide and lets the listener climb out of the hole that was dug for them. As the coffin shuts however, there is still some sense of fulfillment coming from the end as Smote Reverser is an interesting and engaged new addition to the Oh Sees twisted and vivid world.
Listen To Smote Reverser Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
Classic Day – The Dead Ones
From the age of nihilistic and disparity in punk rock music, there has always been the theme of raw, unfiltered opinions of the public. Whether these opinions are valid of the general population, The Zero Boys just simply do not care. Their 1981 release Vicious Circle holds a certain merit behind the blitzing punk rock cascading over from Indiana.
The Zero Boys were finally a band that was from a different area of punk rock that could release a new insight into the genre, Zero Boys picked up where so many bands left off in the early 80’s as a new found force that could clash with the incoming gloss of hair metal and the remnants of disco. With the opening of the 41-second long introduction that clambers into frame with a ripping guitar roar and sudden percussion blast that is covered by an overcoat of vocals that smash along and create this mess of impact. The noise is then cut through by a woman’s scream as “Amphetamine Addiction” then becomes the crowning jewel to Vicious Circle.
Somehow building a barricade on the comedic and the sadistic, Zero Boys are a slightly more deformed, more heavy version of every satirical B-movie ever created. They can capture that spirit of unrelenting punk force with the fun of manipulation and adaptability behind their sound. They do not fit a certain mold, but instead use their roots of punk rock to destroy the walls within the genre. They are less focused on technique and more direct on forming a real powder-keg of punk rock. Their tracks are quick, usually heavily sincere on creating the most noise as a possible, and eventually using their lightning striking nature to construct one of the better underground releases of the 1980’s.
The foundation of a solid sound and backbone is one of the more important aspects of how Zero Boys can rise on their own personality within the sea of music. With “Drug Free Youth”, “Outta Style”, or “Forced Entry”, the tracks all feel incredibly similar but have minute differences that depend on the breakdown placement or the way that the guitar shifts around. Ultimately, there is some sense of familiarity that appears before the end of Vicious Circle that feels almost as an old friend that comes around. It could be the way that the riffs are formed over the almost Ramones-esque instrumentation or the way that the vocals are almost at a party rock performance.
In any sense of the word, Zero Boys are a cult classic that rely on the shocking nature, the strange, and the youth voice to bring Vicious Circle to a new forefront. With the sun setting on the Zero Boys’ horizon, the gracious glow slowly fades into the final silence that followed reunion tours and records to come.
Listen To Vicious Circle Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/Amazon/Amazon
Misc Day – Enchanté
Rakeem Calief Myer, better known under his stage persona of Roc Marciano holds one of the essential needs of a diverse hip-hop artist and lyricist. His voice is recognizable and the way that he can use his rugged, but still eased tone over the classy instrumentation is what makes Marci Beaucoup stand out for the delivery and the all-star cast of features recruited as well.
As the introduction of clashing hi-hats that sound as the climatic ending of a Scorsese film, the 1970’s synths and warping MOOG instrumentation wraps around the string ensembles that leads the listener down the velvet hallway of “Love Means”. Featuring rapper Evidence and a sample of HBO’s Gotti, “What’s life about? You don’t go through it as a man’s man. You should suck it up, take the fall. Do the time, that’s what made you who you are, that makes you what you are” is is the first drawing of the curtain before Evidence opens the lyrical approach coming from the vast grouping of artists on Marci Beaucoup. It is actually Marcianowho steals the track away with his verse that describes, “I need a check with three commas, hit the tropics, switch the topics. The pants come with six pockets, twist limbs out the sockets” as a vocal sample describes throughout the track, “Love Leads…” with both Evidence and Marciano tag teaming the simple, but almost classical sense of an instrumental.
Following is one of the more capturing tracks of Marci Beaucoup with “Didn’t Know” with a music box tone that uses a fairly uncomplicated snare and bass drum beat that works well within the simplicity of most of the instrumentation on Marci Beaucoup. Having the features from both Freewayand Knowledge The Pirateboosts the versatility as Marciano is able to move around, but keep a consistent theme of 70’s style New York.
Marci Beaucoup feels grimy, but more in the lyrical aspects than the actual sound coming from the production. This is apparent throughout the way that The Alchemist and Oh Noworks together under the alias of Gangrene who had one of the better team-ups with You Disgust Me. The high-class hydra is superior on the track “Psych Ward” that grips the listener and holds them hostage under the flashy instrumentation and superb lyrical delivery. The two-part beat production is one of the higher points of Marci Beaucoup and quickly became one of the tracks that was jumped to because of its ability to control the crowd and deliver on some movement.
With the monumental features, lyrical kicks, and the production clean enough to make an all white coupe seem trashy, Marci Beaucoup is a delivery on hip-hop. It captures that spirit of being your own boss, making your own moves, and creating a chess game within life; leavingRoc Marciano as the king.
Listen To Marci Beaucoup Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
New Music – Now We Swimmin’
In a tame but triumphant return, Mac Miller showcases a personal side as he always has with his music. From his rambunctious styling’s of an Oakland Shadow Lounge Teenager who cut his teeth with the likes of Pittsburgh’s underbelly. To the sold out tours around the world, there is something special about the Steel City Marauder. It could be seeing that he is from the similar backbone of the Pittsburgh artist, or maybe the way that he conducts himself on and off the stage, in any sense of the word; Mac Miller is a continuous force that proves he deserves where he is.
Standing on top of the world, looking down over the vast cities and oceans, the sea salt that is more of a refreshment than a sting is the world of Swimming. The more relaxed, more authentic instrumental focused release from Miller is a separate entity added on to his career. With a lengthy introduction entitled “Come Back To Earth”, Miller describes through a fractal lens that he “Needs a way out of his [my] head”. He is still the alternative report of an artist that equates to more than just a hip-hop focused prodigy. Swimming is an accurate display of all the memories growing with Miller through his missteps and our own personal mistakes. “Come Back To Earth” is a deeply-rooted journey that has a relative factor and segues in immaculate fashion toward “Hurt Feelings”.
It appears fairly quickly that Swimming is going to be a more laidback approach when compared to other previous releases from Miller. Focusing more on creating spacious instrumentation that reflects the clairvoyance coming from Mac Miller’s vocals, his production is the most vital key to the puzzle that is Swimming. It continues to paint the visuals for Swimming and does a vivid job throughout the sun-bleached instrumentation that is present on “What’s The Use?” or “Ladders”. Other tracks like “Self Care” showcase Miller’s previous experience in hip-hop production as he morphs these 808’s and rattling hi-hats to form one of the more memorable displays from Swimming.
He is still stylish, approachable, and ultimately transformative as Miller uses “Small Worlds” to paint a beachside conversation stating “The world is so small till it ain’t, I’m building up a wall till it break. She hate it when I call and it’s late, I don’t wanna keep you waiting” as Miller then dives into a personal insight of his humanity and the conflicting nature of his private and public life. “You never told me being rich was so lonely, nobody know me, oh well; hard to complain from this five-star hotel.” This is where “Small Worlds” can transfer well into one of the final tracks of “2009” where the instrumental alone is almost heartbreaking.
The orchestral strings that coagulate and become this overbearing force before Miller finally cuts the tension and becomes a shining example of his past clashing with his new found awareness. Miller creates a more authentic beauty behind his production and that works into the sun that glimmers over Swimming, touching upon the sea and showing a clear reflection in the water.
Listen To Swimming Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
Classic Day – Gored Mess
Laying the ground work on some of the sinister sounds that would come out of Europe, Samael was a heavy influence on early black metal that would span a lifetime of following records. With Samael however, their earliest record of Blood Ritual would be the most important in their career.
he aggression that follows the black, metallic overcoat of ultimate darkness that is Samael becomes a bloodied mess within the first moments of “Beyond The Nothingness”. A body bag of a track, the fire begins as Vorphalack rifles away with the guitar and vocal aspects as Xy performs on the percussion and keyboards. Masmiseîm handles the bass and works ultimately to constrict on Blood Sacrifice. Few records hold the instrumental weight that Samael can conquer and the keyboards are especially a high regard of the record. The instrumentation is as important as the death curdling segments of vocalization that is a mix between screams and growls of a truly otherworldly source.
There are distinctions within Blood Sacrifice that feel as a forced attack on the listener as Samael demands the attention from the listener. They stand as a dedicated and relentless movement to punch throughout the droning tracks. Flurry after flurry comes into frame as the door is then lifted on Blood Ritual to unveil a wealth of secrets spewing from the hydra. Samael holds these various movements and workings up to the flame as each play through of Blood Ritual continues to surprise and hold elements that still become discovered even over 20-years later.
Continuing into “Macabre Operetta”, one of the more lumbering and heavy-hitting productions from Samael. There is this constant rush from the band, and seeing a new direction is as refreshing as death can be. Without these tracks, Blood Ritual would become a monotonous mess. The group does not have a single leader however, as each member guides within their own way. The importance of Blood Ritual comes from Samael having these offset pathways that break off and then form once again at the track’s end.
Through the near hour of blackened death coming from Samael, Blood Ritual proves to be as substantial as it once was even back in 1992. Through the trifecta of near physically hurting musical destruction, Samael holds a sense of hope behind their sound. Relentless in nature, Blood Ritual takes the best of the aggression and forms it into one digestible piece.
Listen To Blood Ritual Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Album) BONES – “LivingSucks”
Art By: MorbidArt // Listen Here – Soundcloud
Misc. Day – Hear The Horror
Through the frantic radio static and horrendous sampling that leads to the descent into madness; Gost is more than a satanic apparition. Gost is the musical embodiment of mental anguish and spiritual murder. Shown well in the 2018 release Possessor, Gost is a feverish dream of sampling, death growls, synthesizers, and originality that is unmistakably recognized for the frightening nature and otherworldly sound.
Horror is the key motive behind Gost as the stage presence and the occurrence behind the screaming invokes some sense of malicious intent. Ultimately, Possessor is at the surface level a disturbed graveyard creep, but at further inspection and through a much brighter lens, Gost is truly an artistic visionary. Painting only what can be called as macabre, Gost demands the listener’s attention with the self-titled track “Possessor”. Focusing on the revolution of Satan’s grasp on the world, Gost is a dark magician that begins to slowly form cold dead hands wrapped around the listener throughout Possessor. The way that they are dragged down through the chilling words of “I will be avenged” as the following track, “Garruth” jumps into frame with headstrong guitar chords that line up in front of a drum machine to deliver the backbone.
Rigid, twisting, and ultimately destructive, “Garruth” is as terrifying as it is intriguing and the way that Gost mixes in the sampling is a perfect segue throughout Possessor. As well as the entire production line holding this sense of authenticity behind the instruments being used. It is also important to note that Gost holds a multi-genre album 
in its hand. At one aspect of the spectrum, Possessoris an electronic synth-based record that relies on the consistent snare and bass combination that floods a large portion of each track. Then at other times, Gost’s Possessor is a story based concept album of death metal that simultaneously destroys and rebuilds from the ashes.
There are moments when the death howls and harsh vocals are pushed to the outer edge and cleaner vocals are introduced. This again, moves the furniture of Possessor around and complements well within itself. At times, Gost is a punishing mess of noise that hurts and takes as it pleases, then other times, Gost is a docile creature of musical limberness that bends without breaking. The album almost tests the limits of just how far a record can go before it becomes an experimental and directionless movement, Possessor is close to that dotted line.
This warped realization of the multi-layered and deeply rooted record is quick to reaffirm the interest throughout. Gost adapts to the darkness and makes a home where there is despair. Without the movement of midnight cemetery synthesizers and the ritualistic howls, Possessor would be without the magic that makes it just so bleak.
Listen To Possessor Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
THIS IS A LIST OF THE MOST RECENT STREAMS...
The complete list of all past streams can be accessed here as well
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MATT'S MUSIC MINE - MERCH FOR SALE
VIDEO REEL 2
LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY – JESUS PIECE AT BABY’S ALL RIGHT, DECEMBER 6TH, 2022
SUNDAY SAMPLER // (Playlist) “12/04/2022″
(Track) Jake Mason Trio – “Rib Eye”
(Video) Lightning Bolt – “Dead Cowboy @ TAICOCLUB 2014”
(Video) The Velvet Underground – “After Hours”
(Video) Mac Miller – “10 Years Of You”
(Video) A$AP Rocky – “Same Problems”
The complete list of all past streams can be accessed here as well
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