Ashton James Brown takes a look at “SumoTreats”, the latest and greatest from London-based jazzy-hop supremos, SumoChief. The DNA of hip hop has been imbricated with jazz since its birth in the 70s. From the raw drum beats and relentless energy to the intrepid spirit of improvisation, hip hop has both tacitly and overtly sampled from its forbear for decades. Live hip hop quartet SumoChief are a successful example of…
Author: Ashton James Brown
Ashton James Brown is a writer and audio engineer. Some of his favourite pastimes include: cooking up a storm, geeking out over tokusatsu and hoarding copious amounts of vinyl.
INTERVIEW: Taelor Headless
Ashton James Brown brings us an interview with the Mastermind behind the “Streetwear” brand, Headless Flywear… We first encountered Headless Flywear way back in February of 2014. While that may seem like a relatively short expanse of time, in this internet age where information is exchanged at breakneck speed, a little over two years is akin to eons. In this time, Headless Flywear has undergone…
Richie Saps & Scott Xylo – Infinite
East London based wordsmith Richie Saps joins forces with Leicester based producer Scott Xylo to deftly regale us with a tale of his immortality… The relationship between producer and emcee has been an integral part of hip hop since its nascent days. On rare occasions, the artistic understanding between these two individuals can be exceptionally organic, at times resembling complete symbiosis. Scott Xylo and Richie…
SumoChief – Gator Season (2Late Remix)
London based jazz/hip hop quartet SumoChief have enlisted the services of High Focus beat-wizard 2Late to deliver an intriguing reinterpretation of “Gator Season”. The pursuit of musical complexity can sometimes be futile, as it is often done at the expense of the overall “vibe” of a track. When there is a perceptible lack of this distinct emotional atmosphere, a song can feel sterile and uninspired….
Interview: Sumochief
Ashton James Brown interviewed the exciting jazz/hip hop quartet Sumochief and discussed their origins, their thoughts regarding London’s vibrant music scene and how music technology is incorporated into their creative process. The UK hip hop scene has an abundance of talent when it comes to emcees and producers, however live hip hop bands are few and far between. Sumochief are a London based four-piece whose…
Scott Xylo – 2003 // HeERO Scott
Scott Xylo offers up a mesmeric piece of nostalgia, with the release of his latest project ‘2003 // HeERO Scott’. Concept albums are often attempted but poorly executed. The idea of basing a project around one central theme allows for it to be far more sonically cohesive; something prominently lacking in LPs/Eps of thematically unrelated material. UK producer Scott Xylo’s latest release, 2003 // HeERO…
Scott Xylo – Bang Babies
Leicester based producer Scott Xylo serves up a cut from his forthcoming EP, ‘2003//Heero Scott’. Music is an intriguing thing, often evoking certain emotions and memories within us. Bang Babies, Scott Xylo’s latest instrumental offering certainly accomplishes this, with its clever use of vocal samples from ‘Static Shock’ providing me with a potent dose of nostalgia. Xylo is an accomplished beatsmith, and his heady concoction…
VIDEO: Fliptrix – Duppying The Style
High Focus label boss Fliptrix delivers some visuals for Duppying The Style, a track taken from his new project ‘Out The Box’. 2014 is shaping up to be a monumental year for High Focus Records with their release schedule containing some of the most intriguing hip hop albums of the year. In just 4 years, the label has managed to become a cornerstone for the…
VIDEO: Jack Jetson – Wonderberry
UK wordsmith Jack Jetson drops some visuals for his new single Wonderberry. The UK hip hop scene has been in a state of rude health of late with quality music appearing across the entire UK spectrum. Up and coming Birmingham based emcee Jack Jetson is certainly contributing to this resurgence with the release of his new single, Wonderberry, taken from his eagerly anticipated LP ‘Adventures…
Madvillainy: A Decade Later
Ashton James Brown gives his own insights into what made Madvillainy so special, 10 years after its release. Hip hop’s underground is often cited as the metaphorical promised land of the genre. A place where creativity and artistic freedom remain unfettered, with emcees and producers not having to bend their rhymes and sonic identities to whim of major label executives. The early 2000’s was a…