HipGnosis - Ear Responsibility

A week ago I was watching the Cav’s struggle against the Magic at a friend’s house when my Blackberry started buzzing. I had just got a new email from an Eric Young who introduced himself as HipGnosis. He was looking to get some exposure in Atlanta on a new album he was releasing. I followed his links to his website and to his Myspace Page and the beats sounded tight. I decided to get a few promo albums from him and see if a blog would work.

What really interested me in this new found project is that it is the epitome of a grass routs movement. A fan of his living in Atlanta knew of my blog and recommended it to him. She suggested that I review his new release Ear Responsibility which dropped on Monday June 1st. (I definitely recommend that you download here). Eric and I started an email string and a week later he has a new fan and contact here in Atlanta. It was such a cool meeting and chain of events, I was a little nervous waiting for his music to come.

To be honest, I was relieved once I started listening to Ear Responsibility because that album is hot. On the first listen I heard a little RJD2, a little Prefuse 73, and a little Boom Bip. The more I listen to this album the more I understand what HipGnosis means when he told me, “Genre doesn't mean much to me. I use classical, jazz, and anything I can to get my point across.” Each song has its own flavor whether featuring vocals or straight instrumentals. You can categorize HipGnosis as a Hip Hop producer but his music is so much more.

I am always on the lookout for new talent in this ever changing music industry and the thought of bring it here to this blog personally was intriguing. One thing I have always tried to uphold is introducing music I truly like and featuring music that people definitely need to explore. I just so happened that HipGnosis is one of those artist.

Late last night HipGnosis and I joined up on twitter (@Smithblogsatl , @HipGnosis23) to talk about Ear Responsibility.

SBA: Eric, are you around?

HG: yes i am. how's it going?

SBA: Can't complain. Had a pretty good night so far.

HG: it's just been music all evening for me, finishing up a mastering job for a label in minn.

SBA: So this week has been a pretty important week for you with the release of Ear Responsibility. How has the feedback been so far?

HG: it's still kind of early, even though it's late, haha. people are grabbing it, especially since the free d/l of it.

HG: i just released another album about a month ago in the UK so things are hectic.

SBA: It must feel nice to finally get it out there? For those who don't know the story behind it, why was it released for free?

HG: was due to come out 6/1/08. things didn't work out cover design issues and then distro. i got discouraged and moved on. ppl were not happy.

HG: when i titled it 2 yrs ago i didn't think it wld turn into REAL prblms w/ irresponsibility.

SBA: What can we expect off the UK release? Is it along the same lines as Ear Responsibility? What label is it on?

HG: UK release is on Lab Beat, a glitch hop label. more experimental, like Flying Lotus or Prefuse73. electronic influenced still fresh hip hop.

SBA: Speaking of Prefuse 73, I hear alot of similarities in your guys music? what kind of influences do you see in creating your sound?

HG: influenced by oldschool raves, goldenera hiphop, too much weed/shrooms, not enuff sleep, mental illness, more weed...

SBA: haha, one thing i always wanted to ask a hip hop producer? how do you find you collaborations with rappers? How did E.R.'s colabos happen?

HG: often just ppl u know and meet. on ER all talented friends from U of I in illinois. collab w/ ppl from net too smtms

SBA: Do you have dream collaboration? Favorite producer to work with or favorite mc?

HG: dream producer wld be Dilla or Shadow, dream MC prob saul williams or Doom.

HG: Pharoahe monche a big one too.

SBA: I know you have been creating music for a minute but where do you see it going? More hip-hop or more electronic? Or a little of both?

HG: def both and neither. genre doesn't mean much to me. i use classical, jazz, and anything i can to get my point across i guess.

HG: it's all blending and blurring these days anyway.

SBA: My last question is going to a little bit of a selfish one but may help other with inspirations never meet.

HG: shoot.

SBA: Do you have any advice that you would give to a novice who is trying to start making music?

HG: mostly practice, read every book on sound engineering u can find. berklee music has stuff free online just get yrself out there and do it.

HG: there's tons of programs and equip out there. find smth u like and just go for it.

SBA: Eric, I really appreciate the time you took out today. Have a good night and I'll talk with you later. Peace.

HG: thx a lot brent. its been fun. peace man.

Ninja Tune's Oddity: Fink

I have been listening to the Ninja Tune label for almost a decade now. For the past ten years there has only been one artist that has been signed as a singer/songwriter with no electronic instrumentation. There is one artist on the Ninja Tune Label that stands apart from the rest.

Fink began as an electronic producer but found his niche as a singer songwriter. His latest album, Sort of Revolution
isn't due until March 25th, 2009 but I have been lucky enough to be previewing it for a week now.

I have been blown away by what I have heard. He has incredibly soul full sound. I was comparing to a friend that had never heard of him as, "If Jack Johnson had Soul...". What I really like about Fink is the use of real organic sounds which is interesting because he started his career as an electronic producer. Beats produced by percussion on the guitar body isn't a new technique but Fink applies it perfectly throughout the album. The music is great, don't get me wrong, but the real star of the album is Fink's vocal ability. The decision to get out from behind the turntables and step out in front with a guitar and a microphone was a brilliant one. He has too unique of a voice and point of view to not continue this for the rest of his days creating music. I hope to be there for every step of the way. He has just found another new fan.

Moderat : The Perfect Marriage

Moderat is the love child between Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) and Gernot Bronsert and Sabastian Szary (aka Modeselektor). I discovered Apparat a few years ago and last year was exposed to Modeselektor when hearing their track with Radiohead front man Thom Yorke. That one track alone got me on a Modeselektor binge that force me to buy every album and EP I could get my hands on. You can only guess how excited I was when finding this gem of a album.
Back to the history: after recording their first EP for BPitch Control records in 2002, they broke up and went their separate ways. In the next 6 six years both groups would release multiple albums and countless EPs. In 2008 they back together to start recording their first full length album, “Moderat”, which released on April 20, 2009. A lot had changed but their fondness of dark, dirty, grimy electronic music had not changed.
I was not disappointed by what I heard. I know it sounds corny that the album would sound like a mix between the two artists but that is exactly what “Moderat” is. If you take the auditory sound-scapes of Apparat and mix in the brutally rough and chopped beats of Modeselektor, you have the mixings of great new band. Sprinkle in guest Vocalist and MC’s on selected tracks and now you have a true cross-over album marketable to the great unwashed. Don’t be surprised if you start hearing them in the media around you.