Tag: music

audio review : Temple Of Hip Hop [ Global Awareness ] ( album ) … KRS-One

audio review : Temple Of Hip Hop [ Global Awareness ] ( album ) ... KRS-One

This is released as a KRS-One album, but it’s more like a mixtape to promote his new European Tour. The concept is established from the very start; “Welcome to the Temple Of Hip Hop 2025 Global Awareness Tour,” he says, which limits the set to not only a specific purpose but a specific date range.

The songs are what fans have come to expect; raw raps over boom-bap beats; but he should’ve saved the best ones for a proper release. The Tribute interludes, on which his industry peers praise him in the past tense as if he’s retired or dead, are reminiscent of the ones from the 1995 KRS-One album.

my rating : 3 of 5

2025

audio review : Music From Beyond ( album ) … Techno Bass Crew

audio review : Music From Beyond ( album ) ... Techno Bass Crew

This album is a year late; their first two releases came two years apart; but the Techno Bass Crew is forgiven as they were too busy winning Bass Sound Off USA. There are intergalactic laser beams on the cover, but is there anything here as electric as Machine Language? Subsonic Love perhaps. Other highlights include The Age Of Machines, Do It To Me and Undertow.

my rating : 3 of 5

1998

audio review : a DM Records compilation : Latin Booty Party

audio review : a DM Records compilation : Latin Booty Party

The first song; El Tiburón by Proyecto Uno; is fun. You may as well go home after that because this Latin Booty Party; which the cover suggests attracts the same crowd, in the same clothes and poses, as last year’s Booty Bass Party; falls apart from there. The DJ plays mostly crappy rap songs. The other exceptions include Esa Morena and the ending Mega Mix, but I doubt most people will make it that far.

my rating : 2 of 5

1998

audio review : The Art Of War ( album ) … Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

audio review : The Art Of War ( album ) ... Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Who are Bone at War with? “Hatin-ass niggas” according to the Intro, including rappers stealing their style. It’s not the rapid-fire delivery nor the Harmony but their melodies that make them sound better than the average rap group. They’re Thuggish Ruggish R-and-B singers too as all the best songs; Ready 4 War, Look Into My Eyes, Hardtimes, Nothin Changed; have them crooning the choruses all the while toting guns and murdering people.

my rating : 3 of 5

1997

audio review : Who Believes In Angels ( album ) … Elton John + Brandi Carlile

audio review : Who Believes In Angels ( album ) ... Elton John + Brandi Carlile

The cover photo is tacky and gay, but Elton John’s been that way for decades. Why he decided to bring Brandi Carlile into his wacky world to the point of making a whole album together is one of the universe’s great mysteries, but conceptually it comes across more like his than hers. She’s not even on the last and best song; a poignant lament entitled When This Old World Is Done With Me.

my rating : 3 of 5

2025

audio review : Electronica ( album ) … DJ Trippy

audio review : Electronic ( album ) ... DJ Trippy

If you heard Bass Sound Off USA, you heard this album. It’s better here though as a cohesive project. The title theme is mostly techno with elements of house and Trip-hop, but it’s mixed like a night at the club, which makes for a sloppy mess when you want to isolate tracks. It would also be better without the formulaic vocal samples, but the music is decent. The best songs are Burning Out and Self Transcendence.

my rating : 3 of 5

1997