New York-based producer Dub Sonata has
produced for the likes of The Aztext and C-Rayz Walz as well as
presiding over a number of underground mixtapes which have served
to cement his image as one of the rising stars of New York’s
burgeoning underground scene. Across the 17 tracks making up ‘On
The Arm’, Dub Sonata refreshingly opts out of smattering
the release with skits and instead launches straight into 62 minutes
of slick and thumping beats laid down for an interesting mix of
lyricists which range from indie-hop A-Listers such as Vast Aire
(Cannibal Ox) and Bizzy Bone (Bone Thugs) to upcoming acts such
as Double A.B. and J-Hood. Shifting from commercially tinged gangsta-rap
beats to soulful, sample-heavy underground beats, Dub Sonata certainly
knows how to extract the most energy from the lyricists whose
raps vary from politically themed adages to straight up gangsta
business.
On ‘No Sir’, J-Hood’s
relaxed yet on-point flowage rides atop of a Dre-inspired soundscape
of elongated synths, exotic and resonant melodic strings, brushed
snares and a deep groove that join forces to make a top-draw soundtrack
to midnight gear-shifting on the open highway. On the rousing
‘New York’, featuring Swave Sevah, Double A.B. &
C-Rayz Walz, Dub Sonata, perfectly encapsulates the contrast between
the captivating neon-glow of New York’s commercial centre
and its murderous, grimey underworld. Featuring melancholic keys
which meander over sharp snares and tight bass drops, the vibrant
early-Mobb Deep aesthetic is fully evident and the trio’s
gritty, syllable-perfect raps will have you nodding your head
and rapping along again and again. Elsewhere, the vivacious big-beat,
synth-expanding grandeur of Billy G’s ‘Young ‘N
Filthy’ contrasts nicely with underground numbers such as
the dark and claustrophobic backpack hip-hop of ‘Hit Em’
which plys the cut-up, switch-heavy leftfield aesthetic that so
successfully adorned Cannibal Ox’s ‘The Cold Vein’.
The epic war-themed beats and scratch-heavy excursions of Deadly
Divisionz ‘Riot Gear’ wouldn’t be out of place
on a Jedi Mind Tricks or Immortal Technique release whilst the
hazed instrumentation and muddied yet driving bass lines of ‘So
Fly’ fuse perfectly with J-Hood’s and A.P’s
vaporous flows to create a Mase-inspired vision of luxurious big-pimping
in a cloud of weed smoke.
With ‘On The Arm’, Dub Sonata
proves to be a master of both commercial and underground beat-crafting,
creating soundscapes that extract every degree of energy from
the bustling vocal arrangements. From the more laidback soulful
instrumentations to the highly charged commercial bangers, from
the contemporised sample-heavy old-skool beats to the sci-fi leftfield
arrangements, Dub Sonata puts his own unique mark on his beats
and makes ‘On The Arm’ a future classic. Furthermore,
by bringing together such a highly talented army of rappers, he
has created a compilation album that is as consistent, significant
and inspiring as DJ Premier’s seminal ’New York Reality
Check 101’ release. (AM)
For
fans of: DJ Premier, Company Flow, J Dilla
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