Water Tower Music US レコード& CD

Review: Perfectly straddling the transition from the bling rap era and the conscious rap movement, Killer Mike's 'RAP Music' was raved about when it released in 2012, receiving an 8.6 by Pitchfork and ending up high on countless end-of-year lists from publications. Killer Mike's hardstyle political lyricism, and exclusive star-studded line-up (including the likes of Scar, T.I. and E-IP) made this one of 2012's best releases. A consistent, high-quality flow with a fire pen and even hotter samples makes this one of the most overlooked hip-hop projects when it comes to the conversation of essentials. 'Go!', 'Untitled' and 'Southern Fried' are textual delights, to be expected from 2012 MVP front-runner EI-P. The latter being an ode to southern rap, often overlooked since the departure of Outkast (referenced in the lyrics "Ain't I Fresh, Ain't I Clean?"), even using the now infamous "Break" vocal sample used in Stankonia. Expect high class rapping, backed by soul claps, organ filled boom baps and funky bass. On a green double vinyl featuring those incredible instrumentals, this is the perfect treatment for what may be the most slept on rap project of that decade.

Review: Wimbledon born Joby Talbot pens the score to the latest prequel story to easily the most eccentric character ever put to paper by the incomparable Roald Dahl. Wonka provides an peek behind the curtain and the man that would eventually grow into the whimsical chocolatier portrayed by Gene Wilder in the original 1971 film. This younger iteration is brought to life by Timothee Chalamet, and details his first encounter with an Oompa Loompa and the dawn of his path to crafting imaginative, otherworldly absurdist treats. Drawing on his experiences working with darker material such as the cult classic series The League of Gentlemen or the big screen adaption of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Talbot interpolates motifs from the classic motion picture yet avoids lazy "modernisation" in favour of twinkling, ethereal, orchestral arrangements that restore retro-fitted Technicolour whimsy to the swirling, bombastic pieces.