Song of the Week: The Go! Team - "Junior Kickstart"

I've had this song stuck in my head ever since I saw the trailer for I Got Next--a documentary about pro Street Fighter (and perhaps other fighting game) players--a couple days ago. I think it's a little odd that I now immediately associate "Junior Kickstart" with video games, but I think it's a good fit.
edit: I also just remembered that The Go! Team is also featured in LittleBigPlanet. The game associations just keep stacking.

BONUS: You may recall a little review I wrote for Oh.Bliv x Just Plain Ant's Black Soap a little while ago in which I expressed a feeling of emptiness associated with some tracks. Well, my friend Corey Smith (Score One for the Little Guy, Earthtone) must have gotten the message, as he just released a track where he raps over the beat of "Cuz I Need It" for his new single "It's Going Down."

Just for reference, here's the original track:

Review: Oh.Bliv x Just Plain Ant - Black Soap

Towards the end of my interview with Just Plain Ant (Anthony Gillison), an upstart hip-hop producer from Richmond, Virginia, he was mentioning the future of his musical pursuits. You can go ahead and check out the interview here for details, but--in a nutshell--he announced that he was going to found a netlabel entitled Just Plain Sounds that would work with local artists to put out high-quality, freely available albums.

Here we are a few months later, and it seems that Gillison is delivering on his promise. With Braintrust's The Bailout, Jay Slim's The High Life, and--this little number--Oh. Bliv x Just Plain Ant's Black Soap all coming out since we talked in March, it seems safe to say that the young producer has proved his vision true. But, enough of this exposé on Just Plain Ant and his ventures, let's talk music, shall we?

Given the nature of Ant's previously released work and his collaboration with Brad Oblivion (Score One for the Little Guy, Earthtone), listening to Black Soap came as a bit of a shock. What I was expecting to be another Just Plain Sounds release complete with the vocal graces of Brad Oh turned out to be a completely lyricless album that compensates with thoughtful sample work and tight production.

One of the hard parts about listening to this album is it's beginning though. Kicking off Black Soap is a sparsely furnished bass loop entitled "Kugichagalia" followed by the jarringly paced "Off." These two track just seem to be at odds with each other as well as the whole album. While "Kugichagalia" is a smooth but relatively barren barren trip that ends much the same way it started, "Off" takes this idea of songmaking and flips it on its ear by starting with a swelling guitar loop that quickly fades out and is replaced by a different beat entirely. The whole thing doesn't sound necessarily bad, but it does give a dischordant and disorganized feeling to the beginning of an album that does not need a confusing first impression.

Thankfully, the album picks up steam and comes into its own with the next track, "They Belong to Me." The little comedy sketch sample at the beginning eventually gives way to a nice, jazzy number complete with a catchy keyboard hook to tie it all together. And the goodness does not stop there. From "They Belong to Me" through the rest of the album, Black Soap is full of no-nonsense, old school beatmaking that sounds remarkably fresh and tasteful.

Most notable tracks include the relaxing piano of the inexplicably named "How You Want It, Pt. 2" (there does not seem to be a first part), the eerie soundscape of "Scavengers," and the salsa lounge atmosphere of "Back to This." What all of these songs do above the rest is add another layer that extends beyond sampling and beat making. These songs have a pace such that they never keep you in one spot for too long, and the next place that they take you is at least as interesting as the last. This makes these songs feel like more meaningful journeys than the rest, but rest assured that this is not to say that the rest are by any means dull or unenjoyable.

It just seems that there is something missing from some of the other tracks; not a big something, just a little one. The reason for this may just stem from my expectation that there would be words to accompany these beats upon my initial listen, or perhaps it is because I am not entirely well-versed in this kind of music. Regardless, Black Soap left me with only this tinge of regret, which is to say, simply put, that this is one small complaint towards what is otherwise a fully competent and strong album.

So with that said, Just Plain Ant and Brad Oblivion's collaboration may not sound like the kind of music that will be rockin' the party anytime soon, but it does make for some enjoyable listening in it's own right. Be sure to pick it up here, or at least give it a listen using the embedded player. Go ahead, don't be scared. Clean your ears with some Black Soap.

Hiatus is Over

We here at tableau apologize for these past few weeks of silence here on Mise-en-scéne. It's just that finals have recently ended and everyone presumably has been enjoying the illusion of freedom from responsibilty that summer inevitably brings. To make up for the lost time, here's a smattering of things that have happened since we left:

-Just Plain Ant, you know, that guy I interviewed a while back? Well, he's released two albums on his newly found record label, Just Plain Sounds. The first one is Braintrust's The Bailout, featuring the vocal graces of A-Bomb and Dr. Benway over Ant's slickly produced beats. The other, Jay Slim's The High Life is so new that I haven't even had time to check it out, but I bet it's pretty cool, considering the fact that Chuck D probably wouldn't want to work with Ant if he was producing uncool things. Yes, I'm talking about that Chuck D.

-A second Tron movie is coming. While this is relatively old news, you may not know that Daft Punk is slated to do the soundtrack. So, to recap: French robots and lightcycles. What more do you need?

-Star Trek came out, and according to everyone from Trekkies to n00bs, it's a pretty solid flick. Unfortunately, X-Men Origins: Wolverine cannot boast the same accolades.

-Nerds rejoice! The Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) is just around the bend. Expect a better show this year in comparison to last year's heavily regulated, poorly timed, and thus more boring expo. All the big names of the video game industry will be there to drop tidbits of information regarding what you should look forward to playing this holiday season. E3 runs from June 2-4.

-Oh yes, and apparently Passion Pit is all the rage these days.



Expect more regularly scheduled posts from here on out, including songs of the week and album reviews. Hopefully we can bring you some cool stuff to augment your summer experience.

Interview: Just Plain Ant

Last week, I got the chance to sit down and chat with Anthony Gillison, a 21-year-old hip-hop producer from Richmond, Va. For the past four years, Gillison has been hard at work making beats and collaborating with local artists to produce his own unique brand of independent tunes under the moniker Just Plain Ant.

With two albums already under his belt, Just Plain Ant's blend of old and new hip-hop stylings have made him quite popular in the local scene, as he tells me that he is currently working on three different projects right now with artists from around the area. But, why am I telling you all this when you can just check out the interview down below?

Here's what Anthony had to say:

CB:How long have you been producing?

JPA:I started in 2005, which was my senior year of high school. I wanted to start finding something that I was passionate about and music was that thing.

CB:How many releases have you had?

JPA:I've had two releases. My first album, Fly, was released in July of 2008 and then I followed with Dig Deep, which is my current release.

CB:When was Dig Deep released?

JPA:It was released this past February

CB:I know on Dig Deep, you collaborated with a bunch of local hip-hop artists including Alex Murphy and Brad Oblivion. Was Fly the same way?

JPA:Yes, on both albums, I worked with all local artists except one or two. I feel that when you're surrounded by such talent in your area, you should take advantage of it.

CB:What has been your driving inspiration throughout your musical pursuits?

JPA:Music has always been something I've just naturally felt. I started really listening to underground hip-hop when I was about 12, and after that, I decided I wanted to be a part of the scene. As I grew as a hip-hop fanatic, I realized that a lot of the music sounded the same. As a result of that, I decided I would mix genres like hip-hop, downtempo, ambient, trip-hop, and nu-jazz in order to make something that's not done regularly. I love the old boom bap style beats, but I always find myself wanting to hear something different, and I'm at a place right now where I can undertake that task myself.

CB:Who would you say are your biggest influences?

JPA:With Dig Deep, my biggest influences are Flying Lotus, Prefuse 73, Zero 7, and Blue Lines-era Massive Attack, but my influences change with every release.

CB:Are you working on anything currently?

JPA:I'm actually working on a few projects. I'm working on starting a local mini-label called Just Plain Sounds. The first releases off of that Jay Slim's "The High Life" and Braintrust's album, which is as-yet-untitled. I also just finished Brad Oblivion's "The Beauty Of Imperfection. I'm also working on two new albums by myself. One is a project which will be my first album behind the mic, and the other is my third compilation album called "Lemonade", which will be out in Spring 2010.

CB:You stated that your influences change between releases? Can we get any insight into the influences going into any of these albums?

JPA:High Life is the main one that I've completed. That somehow came out to be mellow and hard-hitting at the same time. I didn't think it could be done, but when people hear it, they'll understand what I'm talking about. I didn't really have any influences on it, except for the records that I dug through to find the samples that I used.

CB:What makes you want to get behind the mic? Or, rather, why are you just now wanting to emcee?

JPA:I have a lot to say. I used to write a lot when I was younger, but I just lost the itch for some reason or another. Right now, I'm at a point in my life where I've experienced a lot of things that make me think and music is definitely my outlet.

CB:Just Plain Ant. That's an interesting name. How did you come up with it? What does it mean?

JPA:I was sitting trying to figure out what a good name would be one day. All of a sudden, I decided that I shouldn't be anybody, but just plain Ant.

CB:What do you want people to take away from your music?

JPA:I just want people to have a good time. Whether it's being dance, mellow out, or reflect upon your emotions. All I know is that I want people to enjoy my music. I do it as a release, but I feel like an artist saying that he/she does the music completely for him/herself is pointless, because the whole point of releasing music is to take people on an experience.

CB:You said earlier that a lot of the current hip-hop landscape sounds similar, but are there any artists out there that you could compare yourself to or take cues from?

JPA:I can't compare myself directly to other artists, but I can kinda compare myself to Dert. Not many know who he is, but those that don't should Google him. He's incredible.

CB:When can we expect to see more of your handiwork?

JPA:Braintrust's album and Jay Slim's The High Life will both be available very very soon.

CB:Where will they be available? Also, (I forgot to ask this earlier) but where are Fly and Dig Deep available?

JPA:They're all available on my blog http://antdotnet.blogspot.com. And if you can't find it, go to www.myspace.com/justplainant and message me for a copy. I won't hesitate to respond.

CB:Anything else you want to add?

JPA:Just Plain Ant is for the Children