Gangbangsters - 6:17AM

Hear The Track Here

Third time round for California based rapper Gangbangsters. Shoelaces (September 2008) was a decent enough track marred substantially by the low end production. In Decent Company (January 2009) fared much better in that department and showed properly what Shoelaces only hinted at. From these two tracks it is obvious that Gangbangsters are not your average, run-of-the-mill rapper - at least not musically. What Shoelaces failed to show and In Decent Company showed only too well is a very clever mashup of styles that shouldn't work together but surprisingly they do. The electronica that underpins the rap and shows that wherever this musician is coming from, it isn't the standard place for R&B/rappers.

All well and good then eh?

Now that I am getting used to the roughness of this artists sounds, I have to admit it works well for me and 6:17am is only going to show that - if you can past the obvious lo-fi approach - this is an artist who at least tries to be different. Listed under Electronica: Experimental Sounds, 6:17am also shows that despite that initial impression of yer standard hiphop artist, Gnagbangsters is no slouch at explerimental electronica. Of all the three tracks I have heard I have always wondered whether this rough, almost industrial sound is actually the way it is supposed to sound or whether lack of equipment is to blame.

Listening to the detail in 6:17am I found myself again in two minds, is it intentional or not? The track easily shows the amount of work Gangbangsters put into it and for sure there are parts of the track that work splendidly; the bass and drums work well although I could have done with hearing more of both. It's full of little production tricks too, little teasers like flanged filtering, a kinda juddery rhythmic pulse (around 2:10) that is a terrific sound on its own. Having spent some time listening to this, I again see tremendous potential here. The arrangement flows wonderfully and the end section stomps along ferociously having been set up by the (previously almost hidden) build that you don't notice until you really know the track. So, the question need answering; intentional or not? Enquiring minds want to know.

Electronica diamond in the rough. Highly Recommended blend of styles.