Infected Mushroom – Friends on Mushrooms Vol. 3

original

By Andrew

Infected mushroom have been releasing EPs in the interim between their last stellar album ‘Army of Mushrooms’ and their soon to be released album which will return to the chiller, down tempo styles of ‘Converting Vegetarians’, and this volume 3 collections follows on from the previous two volumes under the same name. With the release of EP number 3, people had high hopes for it with many an internet fiend bandying about terms like ‘best ever’ and ‘Infected at their greatest’. But is it really?

Joelistics – Blue Volume

ACE1010-Joelistics---BlueVolume-1500px

By Andrew

I’ve been waiting quite a while for this one after the incredibly honest and raw solo release several years ago, which put Joelistics well outside his former group’s shadow. TZU were one of those groups that Australian independent music embraced, even though they were part of the Gudinski juggernaut. I used to put TZU on par with the best stuff coming out of labels such as Elefant Traks and despite being on Liberation, I always felt their home was with ET. So its fitting that after the effective dissolution of TZU, with pairing MCs Pip Norman and Joel Ma going in different directions, Joel would resurface on Elefant Traks. But Voyager was incredible. It had maturity, intelligence, top level production and power to the lyricism which highlighted Joel’s bush poetry slam thought patterns. But what of Blue Volume? Is it more of the same or just a weakening of Joel’s creativity?

King Rollo (Gravity Champions) Interview

black dog

By Andrew

 

This Thursday night, in the sleepy little town they call Sydney, a couple of Audiocracy’s wider fam are hitting the stage for a good cause. Spreading the word at the event is all to support one woman’s attempt to cycle the 550km distance from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park. Why would she do that, I hear you ask. Well she’s raising money and awareness for one of Australia’s most famous and high profile mental health organisations, The Black Dog Institute, and the work they do in suicide prevention.

 

Joining us today to discuss their involvement and hopefully get some of you out to the gig is one third of Gravity Champions, a hip-hop outfit coming out of sin city itself, the one, the only, King Rollo!

Astronomy Class – Mekong Delta Sunrise

astronomyclassmekongdeltasunrise1500x1500

By Andrew

Australian hip-hop is more often than not pervaded by themes of parties, backyard BBQs and white middle class themes. Mekong Delta Sunrise, the third album from Elefant Traks’ Astronomy Class, is a huge breathe of fresh air. I was only just recently talking of such high praise for L-Fresh’s debut and even went so far as to compare him to Ozi Batla, and after listening to Mekong Delta Sunrise; I’m convinced they are two of the best MCs in Australian hip-hop. Yeah sure, Ozi Batla’s been one of the longest players in the game of Australian MCs, but he hasn’t lost a single edge against the new up and coming upstarts in the game. Mekong Delta Sunrise is by far their best release yet and it shows that when you carry a strong theme throughout an album, it elevates it to a level no one could ever have imagined.

Triptykon- Melana Chasmata

hr-giger-triptykon-melana-chasmata

By Stewart

Thomas Gabriel Fischer is a living, walking legend: a highly decorated veteran of heavy metal music with a career spanning over three decades. Known to most by his now defunct pseudonym of Tom G. Warrior, he was a founding member and driving force between two of extreme metal’s most influential acts: the short-lived but influential Hellhammer and the genre-bending Celtic Frost.  But what of Triptykon? After 30 years in the game, having shed his alter ego (but kept the eye makeup), is he still able to deliver a challenging and relevant album?  Read more…

L-Fresh The Lion – One

F5hJWKKi

By Andrew

Its not often a debut album catches so much attention worldwide and even less often when its an independent artist such as L-Fresh The Lion and his inaugural record ‘One’. Coming from pretty much nothing to a worldwide playlisting in just a few short months is a testament to the strength and diversity of the album. Australian hip-hop is at its best in this record and highlights what I’ve always said about the genre; its at its best when its both political and socially conscious. But politics alone is not enough for an album to shine internationally, so what is it about ‘One’ which makes the grade?