Grand Analog brings fresh beats
What's there to talk about in the
music industry these days?
Fragmentation of the marketplace?
Old news. Enough sub-genres to
drown in? Done before. How about a
look back to music when the artist
could be free to bend genres and
draw from influences outside of current
popular culture? Ever hear of
Grand Analog?
I was lucky enough to have my first taste of Grand Analog as front man Odario Williams intended it to be heard: live. It was earlier this year, twice actually, each time with a different lineup. Both shows were examples of what's missing in music these days. Odario and company were genuine — even during a Nooner in Forwell Hall. The performances at Fanshawe last year inspired me to pick up their 2009 release Metropolis is Burning. That's $10 I'll never regret spending.
The album starts with something scarce on new hip-hop albums: Hendrix-style guitar riffs, horns and even a kazoo solo courtesy of Odario. Described by the group as a mixture of "rap 'n' roll, dub and soul," Metropolis is Burning is packed with addictive beats, funky hooks and thoughtful lyrics.
The album was recorded in Winnipeg and mixed in Toronto but its influence draws from a much greater area. Featuring cameos from Canadian rappers Chad and Candence Weapon as well as TV on the Radio sax player Martin Perna, there's not a point on Metropolis that can bore you.
Take It Slow (Spaces and Places) is a track that seems to be made purely to enjoy a cold one on a hot, sunny afternoon. Tracks like Magnifico and Brothers Gotta Eat blend smoky reggae with trip-hop synthesizer leads, courtesy of Zappa lookalike and vintage synth aficionado DJ Catalist. Turn up that old synth and those booming drums, throw in a dreamlike dub bridge and you've got Light So Bright.
While we're on the topic of vintage gear, it's important to note the presence of real instrumentation on this album. It's refreshing to hear great rhymes stacked on top of acoustic drums, organs, fuzz guitars, brass and woodwinds. The Grand Analog MySpace page describes the disc as "fuzzy with three coats of dust that reads like an old manual no longer in use" — something that I actually couldn't disagree with more.
Metropolis is Burning is the most refreshing listen I've had in a long time. No dusty clichés here: no autotuned melodies, no bling, no Escalades, and although I may have heard an 808 drum machine beat in there somewhere, it needs no forgiveness. Grand Analog makes the hip-hop being produced today look dusty, not the other way around.
So when I said "Take a look back..." I was inaccurate. I meant take a look forward, to Grand Analog. The name says it all; in the soulless, electronic world of new school hip-hop, a group that focuses on innovation by reflection is a breath of fresh air.
Catch Grand Analog live on Friday, November 19 at 9:30 p.m. for New Music Night, FREE at the Out Back Shack!
I was lucky enough to have my first taste of Grand Analog as front man Odario Williams intended it to be heard: live. It was earlier this year, twice actually, each time with a different lineup. Both shows were examples of what's missing in music these days. Odario and company were genuine — even during a Nooner in Forwell Hall. The performances at Fanshawe last year inspired me to pick up their 2009 release Metropolis is Burning. That's $10 I'll never regret spending.
The album starts with something scarce on new hip-hop albums: Hendrix-style guitar riffs, horns and even a kazoo solo courtesy of Odario. Described by the group as a mixture of "rap 'n' roll, dub and soul," Metropolis is Burning is packed with addictive beats, funky hooks and thoughtful lyrics.
The album was recorded in Winnipeg and mixed in Toronto but its influence draws from a much greater area. Featuring cameos from Canadian rappers Chad and Candence Weapon as well as TV on the Radio sax player Martin Perna, there's not a point on Metropolis that can bore you.
Take It Slow (Spaces and Places) is a track that seems to be made purely to enjoy a cold one on a hot, sunny afternoon. Tracks like Magnifico and Brothers Gotta Eat blend smoky reggae with trip-hop synthesizer leads, courtesy of Zappa lookalike and vintage synth aficionado DJ Catalist. Turn up that old synth and those booming drums, throw in a dreamlike dub bridge and you've got Light So Bright.
While we're on the topic of vintage gear, it's important to note the presence of real instrumentation on this album. It's refreshing to hear great rhymes stacked on top of acoustic drums, organs, fuzz guitars, brass and woodwinds. The Grand Analog MySpace page describes the disc as "fuzzy with three coats of dust that reads like an old manual no longer in use" — something that I actually couldn't disagree with more.
Metropolis is Burning is the most refreshing listen I've had in a long time. No dusty clichés here: no autotuned melodies, no bling, no Escalades, and although I may have heard an 808 drum machine beat in there somewhere, it needs no forgiveness. Grand Analog makes the hip-hop being produced today look dusty, not the other way around.
So when I said "Take a look back..." I was inaccurate. I meant take a look forward, to Grand Analog. The name says it all; in the soulless, electronic world of new school hip-hop, a group that focuses on innovation by reflection is a breath of fresh air.
Catch Grand Analog live on Friday, November 19 at 9:30 p.m. for New Music Night, FREE at the Out Back Shack!
