Chris Orrick - "Spent A Lot Of Time"

Detroit MC Chris Orrick just dropped his latest album, Out To Sea, on the always reliable Mello Music Group today (May 24th) and I've had one full pass through the record. Unsurprisingly solid, with a throwback vibe to the production - by Man@Work -  and a thoroughly now tone to the lyrics which is no surprise when reading that:

This album is dedicated to the damage done by the 2016 United States Presidential Election, Social Media and the 24 Hour News Cycle. 

My favourite cut on the album is "Spent A Lot Of Time" built atop a great jazzy loop with piano and sax dancing on a boom-bap percussive note, all in service of a deeply philosophical and questioning set of verses.

Seba Kaapstad - "Africa"

Seba Kaapstad is the latest signing to the always reliable (and frequent RR subject) Mello Music Group, and is made up of vocalists Ndumiso Manana and Zoe Modiga as well as multi-instrumentalist Sebastian Schuster and percussionist Philip Scheibel. While rooted in South Africa - I mean, the track is called "Africa" -  you definitely get a sense of Schuster and Scheibel's Germanic influences with a crispness to the swing that recalls Jazzanova when the track cuts loose at 0:56.

There's only this cut and "Breathe" currently streaming, but based on the MMG pedigree and what's on offer here, Thina is a must-listen when it drops May 17th.

Oddisee - "NNGE (ft. Toine)"

I'm not even going to comment on this cut. I present the lyrics straight from Oddisee's Bandcamp page.

Verse One - Oddisee
I mean what is there to fear/
I''m from black America this is just another year/
If you're new to disrespect by your elected puppeteer/
well let me show you how to persevere/
Just get up every time somebody knocks you down/
& celebrate in front of people like they're not around/
& if they try to build a wall to keep you balling out of bounds/
Use the bench they told to you warm to keep the fences knocking down/ Shout out to latinos because hustling ain't illegal/
Whether praying to the east or the padre, we all are equal/
But if parted they will progress in stopping us getting C notes/
Well let me asked the crowd, do one of y'all disagree, no/
This is for chocolate city though I represent the county/
Until your vote is counted know I got you until I'm outy/
it's all about the effort & effortlessly fresher/
If I'm preaching to choir know they're bound to get the lecture/
it went from folks around me, pushing envelopes & boundaries/
So you won't only hear me where you found me/
I'm somewhere asking questions like can I afforded the most/
You better answer me with more than a no/
Chorus
Ooh, never not getting enough/ From this life that I'm leading/ & all I believe in/
ya'll go, I ain't leaving/
I'm posted, like/ (x2) This if for the county/
& the areas surrounding/ DC, Maryland & Virginia/ know I'm with you/
Verse Two - Toine
What are you willing to let die first/ Your pride or your freedom/
The story of my life's inner conflict/ It's like I follow my dreams/
But how am I supposed to slide in the DM/
On the mic, is what I'm trying accomplish/
I used to do it for the fist bumps & applauses/
But caring about respect started making me nauseous/
You walk in a room, $ bammas speak to you cautious/
like employees trying to figure out who the boss is/
so now I just kick it for, the most divine/
Working overtime/
Sitting with an open bottle, looking for an open mind/
trying not to be aggressively jaded/
Because I find myself just getting faded/
& I know that ain’t quite me/
I step up for whatever it might be/
& RSVP when inspiration invite me/
Because who else gonna look out for those who look like me/ another disenfranchised boy in a white tee/
Chorus
Ooh, never not getting enough/ From this life that I'm leading/ & all I believe in/
ya'll go, I ain't leaving/
I'm posted, like/ (x2) This if for the county/
& the areas surrounding/ DC, Maryland & Virginia/ know I'm with you/
Verse Three - Oddisee
All I know is love/
I give it & I get it, I can never get enough/
Sympathy to enemies cause hate ain't in blood/
& if you can relate you've given up/
I'm trying to make the most of it though/
Getting close is a no/
Want nothing less than yes because it's suppose to be so/ The cost of nothing's too low/
My expectations are too high/
I'd rather die/
Than be complacent with the way that it goes/
Apathy is a disease & we're just steady sharing needles/ Unaffected people carry evil/
Ease is what know/
We've got to raise the bar though/
The sorrows of today will give away to a tomorrow/
So what's a week of paid leave/
& empty promises of hiring/
Just to fire me before retirement/
I'm trying to make more in one day than 401 K/
So give me what you promised to pay/
Because it's never enough/
Chorus
Ooh, never not getting enough/ From this life that I'm leading/ & all I believe in/
ya'll go, I ain't leaving/
I'm posted, like/ (x2) This if for the county/
& the areas surrounding/ DC, Maryland & Virginia/
know I'm with you/

Quelle Chris - "Calm Before (ft. Cavalier and Suzi Analog)"

This track percolates. Can't wait to drink up the full-length when it drops February 10th.

Oddisee - "Things"

Does Oddisee sleep? Does The Iceberg refer to the fact that he's got so much music that most of it is buried beneath the surface? After dropping Alwasta and The Odd Tape in 2016, he's already poised to drop a new record in 2017 (February 24th to be exact). "Things" is the first track to drop and as with everything else dude does, it's fire.

I try not to shill, but...

So the purpose of Reductive Reviews is about sharing great new music that comes across my radar. I don't look at as out-and-out-shilling, and I rarely directly say "go buy this" but regular readers will know I'm a fan of what Mello Music Group put out (especially Oddisee) and have regularly shared cuts from their catalogue.

I'm getting nothing out of what I'm about to share (other than knowing you're checking out more great music) - but I had to let folks know that the label is having a massive sale on their Bandcamp page with pretty much the entirety of their back-catalog on sale for $4.99 a pop. It doesn't include the amazing new LP from Oddisee, The Good Fight, but the money you save on the rest can be put towards that one.

To just give you a taste of what you can get in the sale, here's a recent cut called "Word to the Wise (ft. Oddisee)" from the Persona album.

RED PILL - "All Of Us"

THIS IS TRUTH.

The Black Opera - "Beginning of the End (ft. Georgia Anne Muldrow)"

Man, Georgia Anne Muldrow is just KILLING it of late. Her new record oLIGARCHY sUCKS! dropped recently and it is a serious headphone trip that rewards repeat listens and will soundtrack your sleepless nights for weeks to come.

Then what to my wandering ears should appear, but a post from Mello Music Group in my Soundcloud stream from upcoming act The Black Opera, produced by Tall Black Guy (!) and featuring the inestimable Ms. Muldrow (!!). This is a venn diagram with enough overlap it's just a circle.

Apollo Brown - Thirty Eight

Cancel your plans for the weekend. If you didn't hear this record when it dropped earlier this week, there is nothing you should do beside sit your butt down with a good pair of headphones and this album. I actually posted about Apollo recently, and the Cigarette Burns EP did feature two-tracks that are included on Thirty Eight, but there are eighteen fresh cuts and "All You Know" and "The Answer" are worth listening to again.

Apollo Brown - "All You Know"

"All You Know" is the lead-off track to the Cigarette Burns EP. The whole dang thing is available as a free download on bandcamp so there's no excuse to sleep on these instrumentals from yet another hype Mello Music Group producer. Get down with the Brown.

Oddisee - "Invisible Walls"

We'll get back to the 2013 year-end rundowns in a minute, but let's take a quick pause and listen to some brand new Oddisee. As if dude didn't just release one of the best albums of the year in The Beauty In All (and a dope mixtape accompaniment in the form of Tangible Dream), he's also got new ish for the new year. "Invisible Walls" will appear on the Mello Music Group comp Mandala Vol. 1, Polysonic Flows out January 28th 2014. Peep it now!