Taking ‘Refuge’ with Fybe:One
Fybe:One and I took refuge in front of a small outdoor pub heater- the one relatively quiet space we could find within hopping distance of London Bridge station. Now a father of two and full-time illustrator, I caught up with the enigmatic producer en route to his Aaja Radio set in Deptford. “But you don’t live in Deptford, right?”, I asked. “Nah, mate. I’m 40”, he replied bluntly, implying that in some way the two were mutually exclusive. I quickly learnt that the enigmatic producer was nothing if not honest.
The darker, younger sibling to the This Is Ours LP that dropped earlier this year, Fybe:One’s Refuge is a wondrous mix of layered rhythms and ascendant melodies. Dubstep-infused, house-adjacent, and furnished with rap vocals, it’s hard to pin down the sound. “People ask me all the time what sort of music I make and I don’t really know to be honest, it’s all different genres and tempos… electronic soul?” he volunteers hesitantly. Given his inability to be anything but honest, organic is the word that ultimately stuck for me.
Fybe has been a fan of hip hop since before I was born, and it shows. Featuring choice-cuts from New Wave alumni Mushkilla, YoGoCop grandmaster NuphZed and one of UK rap’s best-kept secrets Don Rattray, this project sits at an exciting new frontier of the sound. Blending unorthodox BPMs and diverse instrumentation, Refuge pays homage to the lo-fi grime space that artists like NamesBliss and producers like Kwollem have made their home. “I’m into that sort of stuff” Fybe says, “when the beats are very, like, cut up RnB, chilled and fast, with super aggressive raps over the top”.
Fybe fondly remembers attending the Kung-Fu hip hop nights hosted by Mystro & Harry Love in the early 2000s and has been playing a behind-the-scenes role in UK hip hop since the dark side of the millennium. He kicked off his music career as bassist in a rap-metal band that we promised we wouldn’t name (hint: it rhymes with ‘Transit Van’) and, since then, has produced for artists such as Nomadic P from the Planets, created album artwork for the likes of Yungun (now: Essa) and Mr. Thing, and carved a career of his own in nourishing, electronic grooves. So, when it came to producing this project, it was clear Fybe was a fan first, his creative direction telling of someone who has listened to the full spectrum of emerging sounds and where it might be headed.
“When I make music, I try to avoid getting all digital, MIDI sounds” Fybe says of this organic feel to the project, “I try to use a bit of field recording or sampling something old to help it sound more natural”. Full of transient ambients and textured to the brim, it figures that Fybe:One’s daytime grind is as an illustrator, during lockdown producing in the same room that he would draw in. “It’s always been connected for me, surely everyone does that right? Interesting sounds conjure interesting visuals?”.
I compared his songs to a music theatre, a full, surround-sound experience with something in every row. Fybe laughed. “Yeah it is very textured… y’know one of my best mates is a great minimal house producer and when I sent him my first project for mastering he was like ‘Nope, get rid of that, get rid of that’”. Clearly, not everyone has the same relationship to sound that Fybe has.
He’s reluctant to admit that this is a lockdown project, but it is in his impromptu design-studio-slash-production-suite that Refuge found its identity. “I’d be up there late at night building up layers and layers and then wake up in the morning and be like ‘Oh, maybe I went a bit too far’”, Fybe chuckles, his honesty shining through once more.
“Refuge is where you live and I found that quite powerful. I spent a lot of time in nature during lockdown and I loved it”. Weirdly enough, all of the projects’ vocalists ended up playing on this theme of one’s own space in different ways. “Unintentionally, they were writing about things that I was thinking and feeling… if I’d told them to write about lockdown explicitly, it might have come out cheesy”.
“Giving artists free-reign with the lyrics does feel a bit lob-sided”, he admits, “but that’s only if you’re going in there to make music with a purpose, like ‘I want to make a Summer banger’ or whatever. I didn’t have any purpose apart from to make good music“. That he did. Again, Fybe:One couldn’t tell a lie if he tried.
‘Fybe out’ to the beautifully organic Refuge EP, out now on all majors.
Renelle 893 – ‘Everything is Temporary’ Review
Wandering piano keys play in the distance as Beau Peep’s spaced-out kicks and Renelle’s brutal honesty lay the listener down on a lyrical chaise longue in this introspective debut project Everything is Temporary. And then he tells you to suck his “big fat African dick”. And then his big fat “Jamaican dick”. Everything is temporary, I guess.
Already a familiar presence at Brighton shows and online platforms such as Loudhouse, Mystro’s Fubar Radio and Cult Deep; ‘Everything is Temporary’ marks a significant point in the Croydon-by-way-of-Brighton rapper’s career as his first full-length offering. Espousing a ‘this too will pass’ mentality, the title ‘Everything is Temporary’ is particularly poignant given the temporary madness of global lockdown in the run up to its release. Lead single ‘Swim Out’ closes with the lines “if you’re stuck in the deep end you can either sink or swim out” and, on the visuals, Renelle does exactly that. Throwing out his previous plans for the video due to corona measures, he makes the best out of a tough situation and films the video at different spots around his own gaff- in doing so playing out one of the project’s central themes.
Looking at the cover art, however, this title clearly holds a deeper significance for Renelle. Buried underneath unhinged scribblings and crossings-out are various faces and human features all looking in different directions and, fittingly, Renelle grapples with his own internal conflicts on the project. This is particularly expanded on single “Renelle & Jarrod”: as Beau Peep’s eerie instrumentation spirals perpetually downwards, Renelle retreats deeper and deeper into his own psyche and culminates in the line “it’s like Renelle and Jarrod are separate and I’m neither being”. As these clashes between his many different ‘faces’ career out of control, questions of identity and agency resurface again on the closing lines of ‘Foggy Forecast’: “feds tried to nick me for intent but it coulda been the guy that had the z before me”. With what is essentially a commentary on mental health and responsibility in post-rational society running throughout the project it may help to know that Renelle (or Jarrod?) recently graduated with a degree in psychology.
No stranger to introspective subject matter, with the cult classic ‘Renelle’s Mind ft. Finn Foxell’ being released 4 years now, Renelle’s lyrics here practically amount to a psychological profile. Referencing “amygdalas” and “Dunbar’s Number” to the anime One Piece to braggadocious “suck my dick”’s and even the occasional mention of his parents, Renelle’s lyrics are a torrent of disparate imagery tied together by effortless rapping ability and this evident journey of self-exploration. At multiple points in the project, the words “Renelle” and “Jarrod” become roots of critical rhyme schemes and thus embroil themselves in a slew of conceptual associations that very clearly plays out this process of self-articulation. Not unlike the cover art itself, Renelle’s Genius page probably reads like a Rorschack test in rhyme form.
All these thematic furnishings aren’t to say that the project isn’t sonically rich, either; with seemingly built-in gain and palpable character in his booming voice, Renelle’s energy is just as infectious in .wav format as it is shutting down live shows and sets. A lot of this is owed to his clearly honed skills as a rapper, tying together a strong technical understanding of rhyme schemes and cadence with masterful energy control that wonderfully teases out the dualities in his musical upbringing (with his mum being a radio DJ in the garage era as well as nurturing an extensive collection of classic hip hop vinyls). This holistic hip hop education is matched in vocal contributions from fellow 893 member Ramzey. Despite largely sticking to grime and even recently producing a track for Big Zuu‘s latest project, Ramzey has no difficultly in adapting to ‘Everything is Temporary’’s introspection with sombre tones and raw honesty that especially meld with Erameld’s wistful violins on ‘Day Drink’.
At the centre of the cover art’s frantic musings is Renelle’s crisp and contrasting third eye cutting through the maelstrom and, likewise, progressing through these verse-dense psychonautical meanderings, Everything is Temporary eventually finds solace in the gloriously light-hearted final track ‘Jollof Rice’ produced by one-man-army Changing Currents. The second verse on the track and final on the project sees Renelle kick the energy into overdrive with the rapid “Plot twist. Fam he said that he’d send me to the hospital but I didn’t even go to the doctors” that very symbolically marks an end to the brief madness that this project represents.
Everything may well be temporary but, with such compelling lyricism and strong thematic execution, let’s hope this project sticks around for a while.
Book a session with the rap game’s Carl Jung via Mango Juice Records.
MysDiggi – ‘Tip Of Da Mysberg 3’ Review
The artist formerly known as Mystro returns with the third instalment of his ‘Tip Of Da Mysberg’ series. Kevin Amarfio, or MysDiggi, as he’s now known, is back and fans will be pleased to know the change in name hasn’t dulled his razor wit or sonic ambition.
It’s this ambition that led the original Mutha Luvva to try everything from dropping tracks for Sainsbury’s and Subway to supporting heavyweights like Wu-Tang Clan, KRS-One and Pete Tong. MysDiggi’s colourful career is reflected in Tip of Da Mysberg 3. In fact, it’s his willingness to push beyond the usual hip hop parameters that makes him such a fascinating artist.
Fans of the west London MC’s previous work will recognise the wry sense of humour (see: “I’m hardcore, doing parkour in flip-flops”) and eccentric outlook that runs through TODM3. Those looking for straightforward boom-bap might be disappointed, but those willing to step beyond their comfort zone are in for a reward.
‘Wait There’ barrels along with the speed of a freight train, aided by some serious bars from the one and only Gee Bag. Meanwhile, the wavy vibes of numbers like ‘Dreamin’’ and ‘Where Do I Begin’ (both prod. K3ith Price) slow the pace but keep the lyrical content on point.
Sometimes, though, you just need to strip it back and drop some solid gold bars, and there’s no shortage of those on TODM3 either. Tracks like ‘Hoolahooping’ and ‘Off the Leash’ showcase Mys’ verbal dexterity and prove lyrical ambition isn’t a barrier to rapid delivery.
It’s an eclectic mix of styles, flows and themes, and it’s probably the diversity in the listing that keeps the 18 tracks TODM3 from dragging. If anything, the sheer pace of change makes you appreciate how adaptable Mys can be, like on ‘Skull Island’ where producer Twisted Roots uses a collage of old-school arcade game sounds to reimagine the King Kong story against an analogue backdrop.
TODM3 might not be for everyone. The sheer scale of sounds and styles might be a struggle for some, but then it’s unrealistic to expect an artist known for testing the boundaries of UK hip hop to stay in one place. Listening to Tip of Da Mysberg 3, it’s clear that MysDiggi still has plenty more hiding beneath the surface.
Tip of Da Mysberg 3 is out Nov 30 2018. You can pre-order it here.
Mysdiggi kicks off 2017 with a bang
It’s been a good start to 2017 to say the least for London based Mysdiggi FKA Mystro. Anybody vaguely familiar with Hip Hop on these shores will know Mys; from his early days hosting Kung Fu in the early 2000s to his latest venture bringing UK Hip Hop to your TV screens, The Natural Born Spitta has remained consistent throughout.
After spending a large part of the second half of 2016 touring Europe with Smokey Joe & The Kid, Mys enjoyed a strong start to 2017, firstly dropping the MMA Rap Up 2016 over an upbeat Jazz inspired production from K3ith Price (Look out for an LP dropping from these two). Mys delivers a rundown of the highlights of 2016 from the world of MMA in signature witty style. Definitely worth checking out!
And now for something completely different! Next up Mys got the masses dancing in their kitchens when he hit our tv screens with Food Dancing (Yum Yum Yum), which saw him team up with Sainsburys to deliver a TV Ad for their new campaign, the full video can be seen below and the track is available for download/streaming on all your regular platforms.
Mys is no stranger to the topic of food, check out this shameless plug Freestyle video he dropped for us in 2013.
As always, there’s no signs of slowing down, with talks of a new LP in the works, a bunch of tour dates already set which can be seen here, and The Hip-Hop Show with Sarah Love and Mysdiggi every Monday on Fubar Radio, it doesn’t look like this Mutha Luva’s going away anytime soon!
DJ LoK 2015 Podcast Part 19
Lok’s back with his fortnightly Free podcast – part 19 of 2015 now in association with 4649 Worldwide Clothing. Check out the tracklist below, and don’t forget you can grab all of these from 2013, 2014 & 2015 Free here
Tracklist
1. Mystro – Kiss That Ass Goodnight
2. Verb T & Illinformed – Rolex Dreams ft Leaf Dog
3. Philly B ft Dirty Dike & Jam Baxter – Never
4. Big Toast – Unbelievable Krimewave ft Jack Diggs, Oliver Sudden, Ogre Drool, Gee Bag, Stinkin Slumrock & Flowtecs
5. Life MC & Badhabitz – Round The Corner
6. Dirty Dike – Me & You ft Jam Baxter
7. Dubbledge – L.O.V.E
8. Manage – Soul Root
9. Dead Players – Oh Well
10. Ghost Writerz – Wind Up Your Waist ft Shiffa Dan, RTKal & G.O.L.D
DJ LoK 2015 Podcast Part 18
Lok’s back with his fortnightly Free podcast – part 18 of 2015 now in association with 4649 Worldwide Clothing. Check out the tracklist below, and don’t forget you can grab all of these from 2013, 2014 & 2015 Free here
Track List:
1. Mystro – Da Milkman
2. Dirty Dike – Paper Tigers ft Chester P Task Force & Verb T
3. Jack Diggs – Run
4. Sherlock Bones – webdemic ft Tenchoo & Gi3mo
5. 2SHY MC – Mugboat Freestyle (Diss track)
6. S.A.M – Pick Your Wisdom
7. Ill Move Sporadic & Joey Menza – Outside The Box
8. Manage & Emcee Killa – On Top
9. Ghost Writerz – For The Love
10. Final Boss – Low & Behold
DJ Lok 2015 Podcast part 10
Lok is back with his free podcasts for 2015, showcasing the best new hip hop from the UK – check out all the 2015, 2014 & 2013 podcasts on his soundcloud page
2015 Podcast Part 10
1. Mystro – The Doo Doo ft MoreOne
2. Defenders Of Style – Smash n Grab
3. Sonnyjim – Live @ The Bonanza
4. The Commodity – Aliens
5. PRofit – Electric Smile ft Serrocee & Mystro
6. MNSR Frites – Numbers
7. Regime – Jack The Strangler
8. Joker Starr – I’m All About Everything
9. MINX – Party And Bullshit
10. Edward Scissortongue – The Prospector
Mystro – Mystrogen Deluxe EPK
Following the 2012 Release of Mystrogen – Mystro Returns with the Mystrogen Deluxe’ LP out now – check out the EPK above – Remastered and with a whole lot of extra’s including the ‘What type of drug is Mystrogen’ EP, a new exclusive track featuring More One and remix of the track ‘Neighbours’ featuring Ramson Badbonez & Dirty Dike
Mystro – Benga Benga
Mystro drops a new video for ‘Benga Benga’ to mark the launch of Mystrogen Deluxe – out now