Monday, October 05, 2015

mouth music (gutter garridge special)

Grime's been in the news this year a lot - more than it's been in a while. Nu-grime obviously (still ticking along two years in - Visionist new album getting some good reviews). But also grime-grime, proper grime, today's continuation of back-in-the-day. Stormzy, Novelist et al  getting lots of buzz. Visiting rap megstars like Drake and Kanye giving props to Skepta et al.  The Grime Proms

I check some of this stuff out - somewhat dutifully -  but I dunno.....  can't feel the fire in it. But I'm sure that's just me, having shot my excitement-wad so excessively the first time around


Probably I'm just one of those who finds genres most thrilling in the emergent phase...  before the sound is fully formed. .. before they even have a proper name sorted.


The stuff below, what I gave the placeholder name "gutter garridge" for a while - was all taped by me during the summer of 2002. Exception is 'Black Man Freestyle' (not it's real name, if it even has one) which is off a tape someone sent me early 2003. All of it is rough and ready, and doubtless a bit crap technically - as MC-ing, writing -  compared with the accomplishment of mature grime. And certainly in terms of the sentiments, mostly it's ugly - nasty, malevolent, indefensible.


But sonically -  and as a blurt of social energy -  it's still got, still gives, that first-flush rush - the astonishment of hearing the New come into being.


All titles approximate a/k/a imaginary!





Horra Quad, "Life Is Not A Game To Play" + "Imagine (You Had A Crew Like This)"


"Too gutter! Too gutt-ah!"







Black Man Freestyle Pulse X 2003 - this is Durrty Goodz, right?





Black Op's on Ice FM July 2002 - Mentazm Death Riff + DubSubLo Freestyle




Tough Chick, Horror Squad jingle, 2002


"Separate!"






Horra Squad July 2002 freestyles KD + Tough Chick + Lady Thugsy






Horra Squad - "Strings Of Death" a/k/a Jammer "Army" / "Alpha Male Bizniz" / "You're A Lady" / "Feels Like An Overload"





Black Ops summer 2002 Carmina Burana versus Britney Spears
 + Cocaine Freestyle