Snatchin' hip-hop from the light & bringing it back into dark

Planet Asia - EP (1998)

Usually when I write about music, I tend to write things and thoughts down while I'm listening to the album.  Though I had many thoughts formulate in my head while listening to the Planet Asia EP, I had to stop myself.  I didn't want to miss a single verse.  Plus,  I had a minor fear that I would lose the beat that PA got me bouncing my head too.  These beats are so simple and smooth, and Planet Asia has a great flow with incredible lyricism to go on top of it.  Seriously, some of these beats just seem way ahead of their time in terms of style.  Don't get me wrong, this stuff has a classic sound to it - just not in the way that you feel like your listening to a throwback rap mix - no, this sounds like something that was made today but with old-school emceeing and simple beats only to make you feel like this stuff is old.  But oh no, it actually is old. Released 1998.

Some beats are stronger than others, but they all share a similar dark-toned style.  Luckily, the EP is only 8 songs long, just short enough to prevent you from getting sick of it.  And when the beats aren't as strong, Asia makes up for it with even stronger raps.  So... yeah.  Check this out; or just ride with me, because I feel it will be in my rotation for awhile.


Standout Track(s) -
On The Corner Part 2
Quite a smoker's anthem.  Love it - gimme Asia over Wiz any day. (Note - I normally embed the youtube players, but they were defaulting to lower quality, and I think these benefit a bit from you playing it in the higher qualities, even though they are only like 480.)

Kalidascope
Probably my favorite beat on the whole thing.  It's just so smooth, and the whole thing has a classic feel.

Interesting Note(s) -
Found Planet Asia after he guested on MED's new Classic album.  I'm not emphasizing the word, that is the name of the album.  It's an alright album - but it mostly just has some very solid guest spots.

Check it

There's Nothing Better than Drugs and Love

Coma Cinema put together in Blue Suicide an album that originally caught my attention with only a few songs.  Not that I thought that the majority of the fifteen songs were bad - I never felt my customary urge to skip past a track. The songs are short, most clocking in under 3 minutes, and it almost feels like Coma Cinema’s front-man Mat Cothran was trying to stop me from ever feeling the need to hit the next song button.  I'm glad he did, because the appeal of my initial favorites were enough to inspire me back to the album a week later.  The album grew on me.  Now, after countless spins, I am in love with it.

Coma Cinema - Blue Suicide (2011)

Mat doesn’t overstate much.  His emotions are often presented ambiguously, and many times he seems to mutter the lyrics in a way that make me almost wonder if he recorded the song in one take. Instead, he relies on the catchy but not poppy melodies that are just strong enough to grab your attention and make you anticipate their arrival again when you come back to re-listen.  

Standout Track(s) -


Whatevering

The contrast of Mat’s confident voice combined with the mobilizing drums and clapping in the song allow Whatevering to pick me up from whereever previous tracks put me down.  

Tour All Winter

Mat's repetition of “Leave my Head” in the middle of the song croons hauntingly in my mind.

Interesting Note(s) - 

This was Coma Cinema’s third album to come out in a 2 album period, though the band has apparently been around since 2005.  A fourth album came out this year, shortly after the third, but it doesn’t nearly fit in with the previous other three.  In fact, if the short cut style of this album leaves you wanting more, you should definitely check out his first two albums.  And if that leaves you wanting more -- you are probably out of luck.  Mat announced that the band will be bowing out by the end of this year, and their last album likely won’t “see the light of day.”

Get Coma Cinema's Blue Suicide (and other albums) here.