L.A. to Cambodia: On & Offspring & ZAPPED Collaborators Gajah & Mute Speaker Reunite for "Bottle In The Sea" from VENT (Acid Lab Records)

Acid Lab Records (ALR) is a Los Angeles-based record label/crew established in 2011; it's members include BeOND, Express Fresh, Gajah, Myk Mansun, Olmeca, OneWerd, Upword, and 3-man emcee posse, Acid Reign AKA Gajah, BeOND & Olmeca. ALR's members have released a wide array of solo and collaborative projects since 2011 with each other and a handful of affiliates and frequent collaborators, including Kenny Segal, Le Parasite, Willie Green, Japanese emcee MC GEBO, Chrono Triggers, Herrmutt Lobby, Mute Speaker, Destruct, Scotty "Sixo" Trimble, Awkward, and Uncommon Nasa on Gajah's Hand of Gold Are Always Cold. While Acid Lab Records features a wide variety of talent, all of which can be streamed or purchased on ALR's Bandcamp page, this very piece will primarily focus on Gajah & Mute Speaker... hailing from Los Angeles and Cambodia, respectively, Gajah & Mute Speaker are currently gearing up to release their third collaborative album, VENT; preceded by 2013's On & Offspring and Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention-flipping ZAPPED (2015) VENT will be released on ALR Tuesday, September 25th.

Just this past weekend, Acid Reign emcee Gajah (@gajahmatik) messaged me on Instagram with the first single from VENT, "Bottle In The Sea" ft. Oso Negro. "This will be me and Rob/Mute Speaker's third project together. We really went into this one slowly, taking it one track at a time 'til we, eventually, had something," Gajah told The Witzard, via an emailed transmission. "We agreed to do the album, but didn't conceptually map out anything, unlike our efforts of the past; he just sent over beats periodically. I applied myself, put my current thoughts into motion and began to vent shamelessly," he tellingly continued. Gajah & Mute Speaker's past works, in my opinion, have a very glitchy late 90's/early 2000's Def Jux-type of feel, strongly indebted to cats like Aesop Rock, Cage, El-P, MURS, and Rob Sonic. "Bottle In The Sea," on the other hand, has a very laid-back feel throughout, almost reminiscent of D'Angelo's Method Man & Redman-assisted "Left & Right" with a touch of Sage Francis & B. Dolan AKA EPIC BEARD MEN's hard-edged Boom-Bap grit. In addition to Oso Negro's "Bottle In The Sea" assist, VENT will feature guest spots from 2Mex, A. Billi Free, BeOND, OneWerd, Woar2, and DJ ETHOS.

"I believe, VENT is our best sounding album together, sonically. Mute Speaker showed his true mixing prowess and MJC [FilthyBroke Recordings] put his mastering genius to work. The Mute Speaker-produced beats are full, yet minimal, allowing me to truly voice my tales of harsh realities that are sure to resonate with the listener. There is a slight uncertainty on my end, concerning this particular release, where reaction is concerned. I think, some will feel me, while others will pity me. But regardless of one's way of thinking, there are people out there living what I'm speaking and I will proudly be their champion, undaunted by popular opinion. Mute Speaker is originally from Brighton, England, but now based in Cambodia. I'm from Los Angeles, CA. The album features 2Mex (The Visionaries/OMD,) A. Billi Free, BeOND, OneWerd, Oso Negro, Woar2, and DJ ETHOS. VENT is a collection of 9 very personal songs that bleed honesty. There is really no better title concerning this record. I can't say it's a masterpiece, but more of a necessary reality piece of my present participle. VENT Release Date: 9/25 via ALR."

- Gajah (@gajahmatik)

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of...

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra...

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel...

The Witzard

Search This Blog