US Hip-Hop legends Atmosphere return to Europe for the Mi Vida Local Tour. After extensively touring North America since the release of their ‘seventh’ album, Mi Vida Local, the kings of indie Hip-Hop will be coming across the pond for eight exclusive live shows this April.
Mi Vida Local has received extensive critical acclaim since its October release and showcases their innovative and defining style of Hip-Hop. With over 20 years in the game and such a phenomenal back catalog, Slug and Ant promise a run of unforgettable performances.
Main support for the Mi Vida Local Tour Europe will be from newer Rhymesayers signee deM atlaS off the back of his debut album Bad Actress, which was produced entirely by Ant (Atmosphere), and was also released October 2018. The innovative rapper/singer/crooner also released his spellbinding 5-song visual EP, “Bad Loves Company” in line with the album. Additional supporting artists include The Lioness and DJ Keezy.
LINKS:
https://rse.lnk.to/MiVidaLocal
https://rhymesayers.com/artists/atmosphere
https://www.facebook.com/Atmosphere
https://twitter.com/atmosphere
https://www.instagram.com/atmosphere
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Otis Mensah – Sanctified
Otis Mensah is “a young story-teller-rapper-poet with a talent for drawing the poetic from the everyday happenings in his life.” The alternative hip-hop artist has risen from a new wave; age and era, embodying a contemporary, poetic take on hip-hop music. The music he creates sheds light on existential commonalities discovered through introspection with often off-kilter lyrics, accompanied by a sentimental vibe.
As an emerging artist, Otis has been independently releasing music, booking shows and has played around the UK & Europe including his debut performance at Glastonbury Music Festival on the BBC Introducing stage. Otis has also played as support for the likes of Killah Priest, Open Mike Eagle, Brother Ali, Lowkey, Milo, Arrested Development, The Sugarhill Gang, P.O.S, Abstract Orchestra, The Mouse Outfit, iTCH (The King Blues), and The Skints.
‘Sanctified is the stirring new release from experimental hip-hop prodigy Otis Mensah. It speaks of his restless striving to convey his truth through artistic self-expression, tempered by the burden of self-doubt and depression. Drawing deeply on the spiritual imagery of his youth, Mensah describes his obsessive yearning to realize his own potential, and face down his demons ‘in the lunar light dancing by the river.’ Produced by Elijah Bane, with music visuals from GRIT multimedia, Sanctified sees Mensah shift up another gear on his continual quest to connect with his audience through his vulnerable and honest form of experimental hip-hop’ Pink Wafer.
As an artist he perseveres in, connecting to an audience that relates to his writing and shares a mutual interest for thought-provoking lyricism and expressionism.
LINKS:
https://otismensah.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/otismensah
https://www.instagram.com/otismensah
https://soundcloud.com/otismensah/oh-jane-prod-the-intern
https://www.facebook.com/itsOtisMensah -
Phil Rudd – Head Job
Phil Rudd solidifies his rock roots and firmly asserts his reason in rock history with his new video for the title track off of his album “Head Job”. The album has recently been re-released as to get all of the legal BS that can sometimes happen out of the way and now it is time to get down to business. And this song, along with the album “Head Job” is all about getting busy with it’s classic yet timeless sound that Phil helped to create.
About Phil Rudd
Described by Malcolm Young, co-founder of AC/DC, as “the real deal”, Phil Rudd, the band’s long-term drummer, played in several Melbourne bands such as Buster Brown and The Coloured Balls before joining up with the rock giants in 1975.Rudd powered the band to super-stardom with his dogged consistency and unshakable back-beat on classics like ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock ’N’ Roll)’ ‘TNT” and ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’, becoming an indelible part of AC/DC history.
To the untrained ear, Phil Rudd’s drumming may seem rudimentary, but his style and groove have earned him the adoration of generations of his peers. Rammstein’s Christoph Schneider said in the October 2010’s Modern Drummer, “AC/DC were my absolute heroes because they are simple and easy to copy, though soon you find they are not so easy to copy.” The magazine’s May 2010 issue also honored the rocker with the feature ’50 Reasons To Love Phil Rudd’.
Rudd has appeared on all but three of AC/DC’s 18 studio albums, which have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. When the blockbusting album ‘Highway to Hell’ went multi-platinum worldwide, Rudd said he ‘‘went straight down the road to buy my first Ferrari’’ sparking a lifelong love of luxury cars. Rudd showcased eleven of his luxury cars in Christchurch, New Zealand as part of an earthquake appeal fundraiser, his current collection includes a rare 1991 Ferrari F40, a brand new Ferrari 599, two Lamborghinis, a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, 2011 Bentley Mulsanne, and Bentley super sport, Audi R8 V10, a 2011 Aston Martin DBS, and 2010 Mercedes SLS AMG. The cars have a combined worth of approximately $3m. Rudd’s airport hangar is also home to his MD 520N helicopter.
With the lavish rock star lifestyle firmly in place, Phil Rudd recorded and released his first debut album ‘Head Job’ with Kiwi musicians Allan Badger and Geoffrey Martin in 2014. The album was released via Universal Music Group in Australia & New Zealand but further promotional plans were scuppered by well-publicized legal problems in New Zealand.
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Only Takes A Day – Reach
Written by vocalist Shaanvir Rehal, ‘Reach’ is a conscious and dynamic display of lyricism that sidesteps the braggadocio of commercial hip-hop to arrive at something both honest and infectious. Injecting hip hop beats with a masterly display of finicky acoustic work, Shaan’s track was the spark that got percussionist Fabien Waldheim involved in the project, and together the duo explore the bleakness and banality of pop culture with a song that’s life-affirming and touchingly relatable. ‘Reach’ explores the many contradictions in the modern condition: rampant materialism is a source of anxiety to many, but the promise of a more comfortable life through it is something we all, to some extent, strive towards.
Unashamedly proud of his nerdiness, Shaan lyrically cuts something of a Gambino-esque figure, though possessed with a probing curiosity that penetrates further and lashes harder than his american peers. ‘Reach’ is a positive message. It tells us listeners that we are not alone in our thoughts, and that through expression we can find a connection with each other and the world around us that transcends our angst.
Influenced by a wide range of music from Bob Dylan to J Dilla, Only Takes A Day combines spoken word influenced rap lyrics and sung hooks with live instrumentation. Having formed at a house party jam in the summer of 2014, vocalist and guitarist Shaanvir Rehal and percussionist Fabien Waldheim cut a separate path to the americanised rap that’s homogenising commercial music right now. Their approach is uniquely their own, with Shaanvir’s lyrics often feeling like forays into his own head, while Fabien’s beats take the place of traditional sampling to provide an organic dynamism that can’t be achieved through machines.
With only one song in their repertoire back in September, the duo has expanded their setlist and their live presence in London’s music scene, headlining shows across the capital. Over the last couple of years, they’ve travelled across the UK to perform at festivals nationwide including Glastonbury, Wonderfields, Hazy Days, Subsonic and Homeless not Hopeless. Their artistic integrity remains their biggest draw, and in doing whatever they want they’ve ended up striking a chord resonant with the people they play for. Their endearing authenticity and classic musicianship feels almost radical in today’s Soundcloud rap climate, and as their art continues to expand, so too will their influence. It may not have taken a day, but rest assured their day will come.
LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtOa4nbU1k8KR9JFAopch2A
https://soundcloud.com/onlytakesaday
https://twitter.com/OnlyTakesADay
https://www.instagram.com/onlytakesaday
https://www.facebook.com/OnlyTakesADay
https://open.spotify.com/artist/18ZwiU4AXEvU5YgA1sz3hb?si=gF1sglw0S6e8TJAx8PxTUw