New Joint – Soundsci

Soundsci – “Change” (Soundsci.BandCamp.Com / 2013)

Taken from the transatlantic crew’s brilliant 2012 album “Formula 99”.

52 Best Albums & EPs Of 2012 (Part Five) – Brother Ali / Soundsci / Timeless Truth etc.

Beneficence – “Concrete Soul” (Ill Adrenaline Records) – This veteran New Jersey emcee’s latest album boasted enough featured golden-era talent to make true-school enthusiasts think they’d woken up back in the 90s, with the likes of Lord Tariq, El Da Sensei and Da Beatminerz all making solid contributions to this impressive release. But Beneficence didn’t allow himself to become a guest on his own project, ensuring his forthright lyricism kept him centre-stage throughout.

Brother Ali – “Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color” (Rhymesayers Entertainment) – The Minneapolis-based Ali has long been one of Hip-Hop’s most interesting and inspiring emcee’s, with this fifth full-length project finding the lyricist teaming-up with Seattle producer Jake One to delve into politics, economics and spirituality, resulting in a rousing soundtrack for society’s everyman to struggle to.

Juga-Naut – “Battle Of The Bulge” (Juganaut.BandCamp.Com) – The talented UK emcee delivered some serious verbal darts on this self-produced EP which also featured fellow Nottingham wordsmith Vandal Savage, with the pair expertly wielding vivid imagery and metaphors to paint potent pictures of lyrical excellence.

Craig G – “Ramblings Of An Angry Old Man” (Soulspazm Records) – Irrespective of the actual music contained on this project, the former Juice Crew member would have still gotten props for one of the year’s best album covers. The ever-reliable Queensbridge emcee did, however, also have the beats and rhymes to add extra weight to the sentiment expressed in said artwork, with Craig executing non-stop lessons in timeless lyricism over production from the likes of Marco Polo, Jake One and Da Beatminerz.

George Fields – “From The Sticks” (GeorgeFields.BandCamp.Com) – With influences ranging from Pete Rock to D.I.T.C., this young producer from Dorset, England concocted a soulful mix of heavy drums, filtered basslines and floating horns on this instrumental release which only appeared to hint at the quality to come from Fields in the future.

Soundsci – “Formula 99” (Crate Escape Records) – Combining the transatlantic talents of UK producers Jonny Cuba (Dynamic Syncopation) and Ollie Teeba (The Herbaliser) with Stateside emcees Audessey (Mass Influence), U-George (Hemisphere) and Oxygen (Sputnik Brown), this polished underground gem was packed with quality beats, entertaining rhymes and all-round good vibes, with the group’s far-flung members clearly proving themselves to be on the same sonic page throughout.

The Doppelgangaz – “Beats For Brothels Vol. 2” (Groggy Pack Entertainment) – Fresh off the cult success of their 2011 “Lone Sharks” project, NY duo Matter Ov Fact and EP returned with this largely instrumental project, compiling a head-nodding selection of atmospheric, dusty-fingered tracks perfect for late-night strolls shrouded in one of the Ghastly Duo’s trademark black cloaks.

Murs & 9th Wonder – “The Final Adventure” (Jamla Records) – The Living Legends emcee and Little Brother producer ended their successful musical partnership on a high-note with this final release in their series of collaborative albums. Choosing the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it route, the project contained typically soulful production from 9th matched with Murs’ own unique brand of personal reflection and entertaining story-telling.

Meyhem Lauren – “Respect The Fly S**t” (L-R-G.Com) – Having spent recent years building a reputation via various mixtapes and collaborations with homie Action Bronson, 2012 will go down as the year Queens, NY’s Meyhem Lauren truly stepped into the spotlight in his own right. Recorded in a Texas hotel suite over two days during the SXSW music conference, this spontaneous Tommy Mas / Harry Fraud-produced project contained plenty of Lauren’s obligatory clothes and food references over a choice selection of samples, with the likes of Roc Marciano, Thirstin Howl and AG Da Coroner bringing new meaning to the term ‘room service’.

K.I.N.E.T.I.K. – “The Kinesis Thesis Vol. III” (Kinetik.BandCamp.Com) – A shining example of an artist who has consistently striven to perfect his craft, this latest intalment in his “Kinesis Thesis” series found London emcee K.I.N.E.T.I.K. delivering his finest creative moment to date, wrapping up his positive, thoughtful rhymes in melodic soundscapes which perfectly matched the emotional tone of his subject matter, which ranged from the plight of inner-city youth to pondering the responsibilities of fatherhood.

Timeless Truth – “Rock-It Science” (RTTNC) – Having kick-started 2012 with the brilliant “Brugal & Presidentes” EP, NY duo Solace and OPrime39 ended the year by making good on their promise to release their official debut long-player. A punchy collection of boom-bap bangers, the pair evoked images of graffiti-covered subway trains, Timberland boots and Polo gear as they travelled back-to-the-future, bridging the gap between the Rotten Apple’s Hip-Hop golden-era and the present day. Queens get the money.

Ryan Proctor

Check Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four.

Session #1 – Soundsci

Footage of Soundsci members Audessey and U-George in the studio working on fresh material for the new year following the crew’s brilliant 2012 album “Formula 99”.

New Joint – Soundsci

Soundsci – “CandyLand” (CrateEscapeRecords.Com / 2012)

Taken from the multi-talented collective’s new album “Formula 99” which dropped today.

Album Review – Soundsci

Soundsci

“Formula 99”

(CrateEscapeRecords.Com)

Having received critical acclaim for their 2009 EP “Dig For Victory”, the undeniably gifted Soundsci crew return to burn once again with both a new album and some official changes to the group line-up. Joining the original team roster of producers Jonny Cuba (Dynamic Syncopation), Ollie Teeba (The Herbaliser) and Atlanta emcee Audessey (Mass Influence), Georgia-based wordsmith U-George (Hemisphere) and NY’s Oxygen (Sputnik Brown) also bring their lyrical skills to the table this time around, natural additions to what was already a talented underground collective.

Picking up where the previous EP left-off, “Formula 99” is full of quality production and impressive wordplay. With the group building on the true-school foundations of their golden-era influences, yet seeking to innovate and not just emulate what has come before them, simply labelling “Formula 99” as being a throwback release would not be doing justice to the creativity that has gone into this project.

Keeping the thirteen-tracks included here relatively short and to-the-point, the potency of “Formula 99” isn’t diluted by throwaway interludes or meandering self-indulgence. Soundsci cover a lot of ground, both musically and in terms of subject matter, resulting in an album that manages to achieve the difficult balance of being succinct without appearing to be rushed or incomplete.

“Hey Hey” offers political insight over bursts of funky sax and classic James Brown wails as guest John Robinson joins the proceedings to highlight the “stealth movements” of those in the corridors of power, whilst “CandyLand” wraps up the potentially gritty topics of drug addiction and street crime into a deceptively playful and light-hearted sonic package, with Audessey utilising popular nursery rhymes and fairytale characters to tell stories of urban woe.

Having proven their abilities to dabble in social commentary, Soundsci soon launch themselves back into the business of showing and proving their superiority over the competition with braggadocious rhymes over boom-bap beats. “Ill Dialect” finds “the Strong Island deriver” Oxygen dropping a particularly impressive verse, bobbing and weaving with b-boy bravado over the track’s purposeful production, punctuated by sharp piano stabs and a superbly scratched Fat Joe vocal hook. The self-explanatory “Rhyme 4 Rhyme” featuring Canada’s Ghettosocks and former Raw Produce member Cadence also stands as one of the album’s highlights, sounding like an undiscovered gem found in a dusty pile of random late-80s rap singles with its timeless Rakim sample, rattling drums and larger-than-life boasts.

The soulful Jaisu-produced “Change” offers listeners a moment of reflection as the crew address the “cycle of life” over lush strings and a warm bassline, injecting the soothing track with life-affirming rhymes and inspiring sentiments (“I got a purpose now, This I vow, I spit to move the crowds, Like I’m pulling a plough…”).

The bongo-driven “End Game” is a relentless slice of fist-pumping Hip-Hop, with the track’s frantic breakbeats, deft cuts and dramatic breakdowns likely to leave listeners caught between wanting to pay close attention to the group’s fast-paced verses and the urge to pull out a sheet of lino to attempt a windmill.

A brilliantly executed display of Hip-Hop mastery from a passionate group of individuals who clearly love both the music and its culture, “Formula 99” is another certified Soundsci sureshot that is guaranteed to satisfy the sonic appetites of true heads everywhere.

Fresh for 2012, you suckers!

Ryan Proctor

Ollie Teeba’s “Formula 99” Album Megamix

Formula 99 Album Sampler – Soundsci

Sampler for the forthcoming Crate Escape Records album release from the Soundsci crew (Ollie Teeba, Jonny Cuba, Audessey, U-George and Oxygen) which also features John Robinson, Cadence and Ghettosocks.