April 20, 2004

{ Aim Hinterland }

Grand Central Records has been cranking out tasty-fresh eclectic trip-hop, electro big-beat and indie-flavored underground hip-hop for a few years now, and this slab from Andy Turner (aka Aim) is no exception. Guest spots from Souls of Mischief and Diamond D round out the hip-hop end of Hinterland, while songbird Kate Rogers and smooth-ass Stephen Jones contribute vocals to a couple of the more chilled-out trip-hop tunes. The remainder of the album is populated with atmospheric beats and well-sampled melodies. This piece dropped in '02 and I still can't get enough of it, and since it's been so slept-on I decided to give it some space here on C12. I'm loving it like it was your Aunt Rita- you know, the sexy one who's lived in Europe, dresses like she's going to a gallery opening, wears her sunglasses inside and smokes those funny-smelling cigarettes.... This is Aim's second full-length, and an admirable follow up to 2000's Cold Water Music. I was especially happy to note the return of Kate Rogers, and I'm still holding my breath on these two cranking out a full album's worth of material. The track she illuminates, The Girl Who Fell Through Ice, is one of my faves and her soaring yet somber vocals are the perfect match for the cool, jazzy and wintery sound of Aim. Diamond D sludgily fat-raps through his track The Omen, sounding like he's just jogged a mile and can't catch his breath. Hell, even his rhymes are lazy, but Aim's witty production of the track blends it all into the Snuffleupagan beat and whacked-out samples- turning lead into gold. The non-vocal tracks keep pace in-between, and the album's intended effect of conveying a sense of movement and travel through less-traveled lands is accomplished via moody rhythms and beats and sampling that glistens like ice in the distance.

» Visit the Hinterland homepage.
» Grand Central Records

By Adam in Music | Comments: