Mr Loop – Things from the Other Place
Ever since I first heard Music From the Tannhauser Gate I’ve been something of a Mr Loop fan boy. As a producer he’s very good, with a knack for picking out the right sample and the right beat for the right moment. So far so good. But even better, as a collaborator he’s absolutely f’kin brilliant. Consistently working with the best guys from subculture of UK Hip Hop which defines itself not quite by being ‘conscious’, with all the frequent claims to pretension and smugness that has, but by being smart, honest and witty. With the end result being a body of work which mixes easy honesty, occasionally malevolent humour and smart rhymes which work on their own terms without desperately trying to impress.
On Things from the Other Place I’d hold up ‘Barfly’ as the stand out track, with Mark from the Zoo renewing his relationship from ZooLoop with Mr Loop. Albeit with a slightly more light-hearted approach to the trials and tribulations of solo drinking than that album possessed with it’s inclination towards the dark side. Although there’s no difference in the depth of the feeling related from one to the other. And even in it’s more meandering moments there’s an abundance of quality lyrics here. It’s just very well made, which is what you’d expect from something with the Loop name on it really.
You can download Things from the Other Place over at BandCamp on a pick your price sort of deal – so for anything from free to a fortune. As with all such releases though showing some love boosts the odds of more appearing in the future and of keeping the flame of good music alive in times to come.