Cassette Review //
Primal Winds
"The Renegades"
(Hand'Solo Records)
$15 //
Edition of 50 //
We start this cassette by telling us that the uprising has begun. Synths come in with robotic vocals and then vocals come in with beats now. This reminds me of 2 Skinnie J's and MC Chris. There are these nice computer vocals singing in the chorus. I also like that there is a "Pole Position" way about this, that it feels somewhat like a video game.
The next song seems to be about "The Grid" (which is the title) and it feels like "Tron" or
"The Matrix". Synths come in with some power. This has a definite 1980's type of synth way about it, like "Weird Science", and it's just fun. It's full of energy, yet I also imagine it being made in Windows 95. This takes us into a song which definitely has video game vibes and I remember the Fun Lovin' Criminals for some reason.
He just said "Just like the fear in your mind, you need to conquer it" and that should be a mantra everyone lives by. Isn't it funny how we don't take chances in our lives and we'll blame it on any number of factors but it always seems to come back to being about fear. I know I've been thinking this one sounds like video games but the fourth track just confirms it- referencing the power glove and many other video games.
I've been a fan of 8bit style music for some time now and this isn't really what I'd consider to be that in a musical sense but the idea behind it- the connection to video games and computers- is there and I do enjoy that as well. "MCP" says they're taking us back to the '80's and they even shout out heroes in a halfshell. While there were the live action TMNT and Super Mario Bros. movies in the 1990's, I think if there was a similar movie in that time made (maybe Sonic? Donkey Kong?) this would be a good soundtrack for it.
But then you listen to a song like "Repurposed" and realize these rhymes are legit and can go quite hard. Certain aspects of this make it feel more like a retro hip-hop, a throwback if you will, but that doesn't make it any less good and really the reason why I keep thinking of it in reference to the past tense is because not a lot of rappers (none?) haven't kept this style going and they really should have (But if there is some hidden scene for this, please turn me on to it)
The song "Griefers" has this way about it which makes me think of some sound between Kottonmouth Kings and Twenty One Pilots. It's actually a really fun anthem with the beats and overall "Space Invaders" type of march.
On the flip side we start with "Congratulations, programs, you have been selected for the games" and this really is some movie from the 1980's, right? There are some definite "Street Fighter" type of vibes in here- some games from the NES and SNES are being played where you walk around and beat the crap out of everyone. Many people remember that old NES TMNT game for this, but I also relate it with that other NES game for Robocop.
I got lost in the music for a while here and I was thinking about whether or not you would have to be into video games in order to like this cassette. I think, on some level, you could simply appreciate this for the art of it- for the music. I mean, sometimes I listen to love songs but I'm not in love. I'm not sure someone who wasn't into video games and the such would get as many of the references in here but that's okay. While it would help if you had seen the movie "The Wizard" before listening to this cassette it is not essential for the overall enjoyment of it.
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