Headcount TV - Episode 1 (Ollie Bates & Sloth in the studio)

Headcount Records Podcast (free download)

Headcount Records, the folk who put out Illustrate's 'The Stuff' last year, have just put together their first podcast as a label. The label, also home to Sloth, Pneumatic, MCM, Mr. Brown and C-Lone have got Headnod to mix together 17 of their best tracks in order to give you peeps a present (and also maybe to convince you to buy their proper releases?). The tracklist is here:

1. MR BROWN - 'D.HAMMER' (produced by Mr Brown)
2. C-LONE - 'BE CAREFUL' (produced by MCM, cuts by Mr Brown)
3. PNEUMATIC ft. MR GRIEVES - 'OPERA' (produced by Rinse Dog)
4. ILLUSTRATE - 'THE STUFF' (produced/cuts by Illustrate)
5. ILLUSTRATE - 'WATCH THIS MAN' (produced/cuts by Illustrate)
6. NBA ft. PNEUMATIC & AZLAK - 'ROLLIN'' (produced by Rinse Dog)
7. PNEUMATIC & SLOTH - 'WHAT'S GOIN' ON' (produced by Sloth)
8. CHRONIKILL & PNEUMATIC & SLOTH - 'IT GETS A LITTLE LOUDER' (produced by Sloth/cuts by Mr Brown)
9. PNEUMATIC & SLOTH - 'THE THIRST' (produced by Sloth)
10. MR BROWN - 'SECONDARY IMPUT' (built from scratch by Mr Brown)
11. MR GRIEVES - 'THE GENERAL' (produced by Rinse Dog)
12. RINSE DOG - 'LORD IF YOU' (produced by Rinse Dog)
13. MCM & C-LONE - 'R.E.A.L (rhymes equal actual life)' (produced by Rinse Dog/cuts by Mr Brown)
14. ILLUSTRATE - 'YOU HAVEN’T GOT A CHANCE' (produced by Illustrate)
15. ILLUSTRATE - 'DO WHAT YOU LIKE' (produced by Sloth)
16. ILLUSTRATE - 'WORK' (produced by Illustrate)
17. SAM WEBSTER AKA SLOTH - 'SCREAM OUT RMX' (a Sloth remix of the Million Dan track Scream Out)

'The Stuff' - Illustrate (album review)

Having already reviewed Illustrate’s ‘Work’ EP means I’ve already assessed 4 out of 14 tracks on ‘The Stuff’, make sure you check out my review of that as well as reading this. Right, on with the review then.

The more amusing than most intro kicks things off and consists of a jaunty self produced beat and a load of samples referring to ‘The Stuff’. ‘My Hat’ comes next and ‘Sick of It’ follows. ‘Sick of It’ is a Just Jack-ish (but with proper rapping) guitar led tune that’s just a little melancholic –after all it’s about all the stuff Illustrate’s sick off. Thankfully ‘Do What You Like’ rushes in, scoops up the mood and throws it sky high thanks to the light hearted subject matter and Sloth’s airy jazz.

And the album continues this way. Illustrate seems to have sequenced the album to constantly change the way you feel and as I’ve said before, his music and writing is emotive and that’s a powerful skill to possess. Lead track ‘The Stuff’ perfectly demonstrates the slightly eccentric place where Ollie Bates finds his ideas when he refers to Braintax liking his album then drops a sample of the Low Life head honcho – ‘A big sound system playing the stuff’.

The only real dud moment is ‘Killing Celebrities’ where Illustrate does his angry white violent-but-only-joking rapper impression by listing celebrities and how he’d kill them. Rather uninspiring.

‘The Stuff’ has high entertainment value and despite the variety of emotions portrayed, has a very happy-go-lucky vibe to it- which is a nice balance for an album to have. It’s a good album to debut with and is a highlight in this year’s more subterranean rap releases. It’s out on November 17th on Headcount Records and will be available for sure from Suspect Packages.