Patrick D Martin album review
Patrick D Martin’s self-titled debut album is one quirky new wave electronic pop album far different from the norm. The whole album is a fine example of new wave electronic pop of the 80s. Electronic meets pop on this album. The posh British sounds of Patrick D Martin certainly satisfy the ears and mind. Electronic music from the United Kingdom never fails to amaze people. Sadly this is one of those electronic albums that have been forgotten with time.
I Like 'Lectric Motors explores Patrick D Martin’s love and fascination for electric motors. The song is far from the norm due to the repetitive lyrics and instrumentation. The upbeat tempo is what stands out also. I Like 'Lectric Motors is another quirky electronic song from the 80s.
Patrick D Martin makes it very clear he loves electric motors. He loves the way fans spin on electric motors. You don’t have to worry about filling them up. Electric motors do not require octane gas. Electric motors are easier to control. Patrick D Martin claims that electric motors have no fears.
I Like 'Lectric Motors was released as a 7” inch vinyl single on the Deram label in 1980.
Now Computer Datin’ was the predecessor to Zapp - Computer Love. The song preceded Zapp - Computer Love by 4 years as the song was released in 1980. Patrick D Martin was ahead of his time when he released this song in 1980 as a 7” inch vinyl single. Patrick D Martin was talking about online before online dating was global and before the internet became available worldwide to the general public. This guy predicted the future back from 1980. That’s how ahead of his time he was. Patrick knew his stuff.
Computer Datin’ is a new wave synth pop song which uses multiple layers of synths, keyboards, percussion, and guitars. The multiple layers of synths are what stand out mostly. This song uses several layers of keyboard blips and electric synths.
Lyrics in the 1st verse describes the mystery of wondering what person looks like when dealing with online dating. “What she look like? I don't know/What's her star sign? Will she show?/Is she pretty? I hope so/When they fill the form/If they got a telephone”
These lyrics at the very end of this song explain the mutual stimulation of online dating. “They’re matin’ lonely strangers up for mutual stimulation/It’s called computer datin’” That means people who are lonely will seek the attention and company of another person for mutual stimulation, pleasure, and self-satisfaction. The mutual stimulation and pleasure are what they desire.
Press The Button is one of the more creepier songs off this album. The repetitive nature and instrumentation are what make Press The Button creepy. Patrick D Martin produced this made using FM synthesizers and with the use of 1200 Gibson amps.
These lyrics are creepy. “Standing on the window sill/The window’s stuck, time stands still/Crushing glass as he steps out/“Oh my God!” the people shout”
Luci ‘Lectric a quirky new wave electronic pop song which uses several layers of keyboard blips and electric synths. The mood is very upbeat. Not to say this song is far different from the norm. The instrumentation layout is amazing to say the least.
Police Paranoia is an upbeat boogie rock influenced new wave electronic pop song. This Patrick D Martin song has more of a rock influence than all of the other songs on his album. Police Paranoia sounds like a song you would expect to hear from Dead Kennedy’s given the song title.
5/5*****!!
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Patrick D Martin - Computer Datin’ single review
Computer Datin’ is a quirky new wave electronic single that is certainly odd and quite eclectic. New wave electronic pop of the 80s. The whole single is a fine example of electronic pop. The posh British sounds of Patrick D Martin certainly satisfy the ears and mind. This single has a more paranoid feeling than all of his other singles did. Computer Datin’ was a 7” inch vinyl single released in 1980 on the Deram label.
Now Computer Datin’ was the predecessor to Zapp - Computer Love. The song preceded Zapp - Computer Love by 4 years as the song was released in 1980. Patrick D Martin was ahead of his time when he released this song. Patrick D Martin was talking about online before online dating was global and before the internet became available worldwide to the general public. This guy predicted the future back from 1980. That’s how ahead of his time he was. Patrick knew his stuff.
Computer Datin’ is a new wave synth pop song which uses multiple layers of synths, keyboards, percussion, and guitars. The multiple layers of synths are what stand out mostly. This song uses several layers of keyboard blips and electric synths.
Lyrics in the 1st verse describes the mystery of wondering what person looks like when dealing with online dating. “What she look like? I don't know/What's her star sign? Will she show?/Is she pretty? I hope so/When they fill the form/If they got a telephone”
These lyrics at the very end of this song explain the mutual stimulation of online dating. “They’re matin’ lonely strangers up for mutual stimulation/It’s called computer datin’” That means people who are lonely will seek the attention and company of another person for mutual stimulation, pleasure, and self-satisfaction. The mutual stimulation and pleasure are what they desire.
Police Paranoia is an upbeat boogie rock influenced new wave electronic pop song. This Patrick D Martin song has more of a rock influence than all of the other songs on his album. Police Paranoia sounds like a song you would expect to hear from Dead Kennedy’s given the song title.
5/5*****!!
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Dig Circus – Shekkie II: Electric Boogaloo (CD version) album review
Dig Circus – Shekkie II: Electric Boogaloo is one of those Canadian rock albums that did not get the recognition or notoriety it truly deserved. This album got overlooked similar to how the Big Sugar album from 1991 got overlooked. The album has everything anyone would look for in a rock album. Tunes about social injustice, getting through heard times.
18 Indians discusses the injustice Native Indians of Canada face. The song deals with the injustice Native Indians faced in Canada which still continues to this day. The history of Indian removal in Canada is discussed as well. White people who were early settlers pushed Native Indians away from their homeland. White settlers wrecked their homes and families.
These Indians are getting older, bigger, bitter, and wiser. Finally they have found out the truth. They are angry. Certainly wouldn’t you be?
Wishing for a Sail about pushing through tough times in life, finding meaning in life, and hoping for the better. Ordinary people go through tough times in their lifetime. The lyrics are straight to the point. The song did not get the popularity it deserved. One can why this song didn't become more famous. Overall the song is truly fantastic. Wishing for a Sail has that 90s rock feel.
These lyrics in the song are about hoping for better times. It’s about getting on by in tough or slow times.
And my coat is tattered and torn
Worn down by the wind's wicked wail
And here we are in this slow boat
Wishing for a sail
Because the waves just keep rolling along
We can drift if the current prevails
But here we are in this slow boat
Wishing for a sail
For those who don’t remember or did not know, Wishing for a Sail was used as the opening theme for a live action teen drama television show called Caitlin's Way. Caitlin's Way aired on Nickelodeon from 2000 to 2002. Nothing beats the old Nickelodeon shows. This song brings back nostalgia.
Broken Umbrella is about a woman who is unable to let a man be in her life. The man is heartbroken by all this. In the aftermath of love he only took the hand of pain. He was rejected. The song ends with his death.
Groove Farm is a funk rock infused song with a melodic groove. Funky and groovy are two words to describe Groove Farm. Funk meets rock on Groove Farm. Dubs and amps help provide a groove to a funky melody that is groovy.
5/5*****!!
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II Bit Mob - The Game Of Life EP review
II Bit Mob - The Game Of Life is not an electronic album but instead is a rap EP ironically. The duo uses bit crushed synths in their songs and electronic samples though. The EP utilizes electronic and rap music all on the same token. However this EP leans more towards gangsta rap. II Bit Mob came from Ypsilanti, Michigan out of all places. Not Detroit, Chicago, or Miami. If you think this release is a full album, you are sadly mistaken. The Game Of Life is a mini-album and not a full album.
An engine is heard revving at the beginning of The Intro. A conversation between the two members of II Bit Mob can be heard. One of them asks the other if they brought the weed. The other asks if they brought that weed. Judging by all the engine sounds, the duo appears to be in the car. They play this tape next.
Creep With The Mob is a synth driven gangsta rap song which heavily relies on the sample of Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce. The song obviously has an upbeat vibe and tempo. What mostly stands on this song are the beats and the Zapp sample. The song samples Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce - ESG - UFO.
781 Redrum is about murdering bitches and snitches. The duo is out on the street wearing black carrying gats. The duo is ready for a killing, you see. The lyrics are short of anything interesting. Some of the lyrics are repetitive and are hard to understand due to the instrumentation overlapping their vocals. This could be a mastering error on the producers part.
Don't Look Good relies on a funky soul sample over street wise raps. Funk meets rap on Don't Look Good.
3/5***
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3 Deep - Sucker Free EP EP review
3 Deep - Sucker Free EP is an EP with phat beats and bass along with the dopest rhymes. These Oakland women can rap their asses off a dope beat. Sucker Free was produced by Clee Dogg and Stan “The G Man” Keith. The EP was released in 1994 by From The Floor Up Records. Sucker Free features guest appearances by fellow Oakland rappers Clee Dogg and Philly Moe.1994 was a great year for rap.
3 Deep Got The Bomb is a dope song where these Oakland women rap their asses off to a dope beat. The beats are Afrocentric. Once again 3 Deep is coming through all day and all night. Rappers could rap back then unlike today.
3 Deep gave us something for 1994 on the song For Da '94. 3 Deep raps over a heavy bass line and dope heavy beats. 3 Deep explains how they are staying sucker free on the song Sucker Free (Sucka Free). Sucker Free is a certified G-Funk classic. Their music is great.
Funk From The O features Oakland rapper Clee Dogg. The song served as the closing song for the EP. Stan “The G Man” Keith was responsible for the funky guitar riffs you hear. As usual, 3 Deep never fails to disappoint when it comes to rap.
5/5*****!!
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Mr. International – Remi -N- Alizé album review
Mr. International – Remi -N- Alizé is a unique R&B album which incorporates the sounds of hip hop, funk, rap, and easy listening all in one recording. Sounds of smooth funk meet hip hop and R&B on this album. This album has smooth R&B cuts such as Tomika, Teasin' -N- Pleasin’, Alot Of These, and Remi -N- Alizé. G-Funk styled rap cuts such as Jealousy, World in Drama, and Millionaire Mindstate are included. 2 hidden tracks were added as a bonus. Remi -N- Alizé is the debut album from Mr. International.
What’s interesting about this album is the design of the front cover. Now the design of the front cover is designed in a passport format. A royal navy blue passport can be seen on the upper left hand corner. His passport is an American passport. Notice the Courier font used where it says Issued To: and Destination:. The album cover acts as a passport.
Tomika was advertised and listed as the hot new single on the sticker case. Tomika was the lead single off his debut album. Carmen Miller sang the background vocals on Tomika. The single got radio play in Houston, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana.
The song is about Mr. International trying to make a girl named Tomika his woman. She tells him she already has a man. Of course Mr. International won’t take no for an answer. He wants to remain friends with her one way or another.
This girl Tomika has been Mr. International the feeling. He feels as if they are compatible. Her sign is compatible with his. She’s got him wondering. He peeps the way of her slick talk. He guarantees once it starts that it won’t be over quick enough. The surprise is that she already has a man. He wants to remain friends with her.
Tomika images the touch, the warmth, and the kiss of him ¼th into the song. She wants to do the things no other girl would do.
Mr. International would rather have a woman instead of a girl. Someone like Tomika seems to be nonexistent. So many women seem to have men twisted. Tomika turns out not to be an exception to this case as she’s got her man twisted up. He ends up leaving her in the end. He gets disappointed with her act.
The title track Remi -N- Alizé has that smooth G-Funk sound which mature people can relate to. Only mature people can appreciate the sound. The smooth piano is accompanied by some heavy bumpin’ bass which adds into the G-Funk sound.
The song and title track is about the finer things in life. Think champagne dreams and caviar wishes. Sex on the beach.
World in Drama is about all the drama that goes on in the world. World in Drama is based on a true story. Mr. International says this at the beginning. Mr. International raps using a smooth style on this song of his.
World in Drama uses a bass line that fire! The bass line stands out. The instrumentation selection stands out as well too. Some instruments used on World in Drama are congas, keyboards, a soft piano, and upright bass. The congas beats are quite thin but are not terrible.
The way people front has Mr. International loving nothing. People hate how he is living. He refuses to change his lifestyle. He doesn’t anybody. Not even his own shadow. People are shallow where he’s from. They all want to be rich when they live beyond their means. Hooked into criminology. Mr. International has gone that route before and does not wish to go back that way.
4/5****!
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Nakai - Desert Dance album review
Nakai’s Desert Dance album has a more dance oriented vibe than all of his other albums. Dance and spirituality meet each other on this album. Songs such as Wind Dance and Desert Dance tell all otherwise. Spiritual songs on the album are Ancient Ground, Ancient Voices, Spirit Valley, Sacred Earth Call, Mountain Call, and Journey Of Yellow Wind.
Now Wind Dance should have been extended in a longer song towards the same duration as Desert Dance. The song had potential to be a longer song. The Wind’s daily dance is choreographed in all forms of seasonal breezes and cloud formations.
Spiral Journey is a flute solo backed by Nakai’s vocals. It’s a vocal to flute solo (think vocal flute solo). The song also has a spiritual vibe as well.
Spirit Valley is one of the more spiritual songs on the album. Ethereal images are part of the daily atmosphere of this pine valley. You can feel the spirit of spirituality when you listen to the song Spirit Valley.
5/5*****!!
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De’1 - 16 With A Bullet/Midnite Massacre single review
De’1 - 16 With A Bullet/Midnite Massacre was a promo cassette single that acted as an album sampler for De' 1’s debut album Day One which never got released. 16 With A Bullet was one of the forgotten East Coast hip hop/rap singles that got lost in the shuffle of label politics and administrative changes at Reprise Records. This cassette single had excerpts of songs that were on the Day One album.
His entire single was produced by legendary producers of hip hop Marley Marl and K-Def. So you already know this single is going to have that dope boom bap sound. Notice the phat beats and heavy bass. New Jersey can’t get any better than this! Hip hop meets reggae on this single. 16 With A Bullet/Midnite Massacre is regarded as an underground classic among hip hop head and rap fans.
16 With A Bullet was the buzz single for the Day One album which became an underground classic in New Jersey and eventually the whole East Coast. This funky East Coast hip hop cut was produced by the legendary Marley Marl. The song uses a dope instrumental over boom bap beats. A blend of reggae is used as well. 16 With A Bullet samples a replayed version of Al Green - Love & Happiness.
A music video was shot in the city of Houston, Texas for the single. De' 1 and Marley Marl can be seen sporting dreads. De' 1 was originally from Houston but moved to New Jersey further his rap career. Of course Reprise dropped the ball on promoting this music.
16 With A Bullet is a cautionary tale about how street life can be deadly and De' 1’s upbringing in the rough grimey streets of New Jersey. All De' 1 wants is a good life and to escape from poverty. Poverty is what led him into a life of crime.
Midnite Massacre was produced by the legendary K-Def. This was listed as a “previously unreleased track” on the back credits. Midnite Massacre is also known as Original Flavor. K-Def is a master at producing hip hop and rap for the state of New Jersey.
Marley Marl produced Da Underground Sound himself. Da Underground Sound features Reprise label mates Lords Of The Underground and female New Jersey rapper Sah-B. Marley Marl makes an appearance also. The song samples Digital Underground - Humpty Dance.
5/5*****!!
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De' 1 – Day One album review
De' 1 – Day One was one of the forgotten East Coast hip hop/rap albums that got lost in the shuffle of label politics and administrative changes at Reprise Records. Low sales were another factor which led the album to be shelved. His singles did not chart as high as Reprise anticipated. His singles weren’t enough to push his album towards being released.
The album was supposed to be released in 1993 but never was for those reasons. What ended happening is De'1 completed his album and the album got cancelled due to low sales. In the end the shelved album got locked away in a vault with the other shelved Reprise albums. The album was issued only as a cassette promo to radio stations and magazines.
Not surprising since Reprise Records never really did promote black artists properly back in the 80s and 90s. Reprise dropped the ball on a majority of their black recording artists who were signed to the label.
His entire album was produced by legendary producers of hip hop Marley Marl and K-Def. So you already know this album is going to have that dope boom bap sound. Notice the phat beats and heavy bass. New Jersey can’t get any better than this! Hip hop meets reggae on this album. Despite this album being shelved, Day One is regarded as an underground classic among hip hop head and rap fans. It’s sad how De' 1 faded into obscurity.
16 With A Bullet was the buzz single for the Day One album which became an underground classic in New Jersey and eventually the whole East Coast. This funky East Coast hip hop cut was produced by the legendary Marley Marl. The song uses a dope instrumental over boom bap beats. A blend of reggae is used as well. 16 With A Bullet samples a replayed version of Al Green - Love & Happiness.
A music video was shot in the city of Houston, Texas for the single. De' 1 and Marley Marl can be seen sporting dreads. De' 1 was originally from Houston but moved to New Jersey further his rap career. Of course Reprise dropped the ball on promoting this music.
16 With A Bullet is a cautionary tale about how street life can be deadly and De' 1’s upbringing in the rough grimey streets of New Jersey. All De' 1 wants is a good life and to escape from poverty. Poverty is what led him into a life of crime.
True Homies was the lesser know follow-up to De' 1’s buzz single 16 With A Bullet. Surprisingly the single did not get as much play or gain as much attraction as 16 With A Bullet despite having a music video. Sales have shown time and time again that singles will not always chart high as label executives hope. This single did not chart though.
True Homies is about knowing how true your homies are and how true they really are. A real true homie is down to the end. A real true homie is deeper than a friend. The song tests the strength of true friendships. True Homies is something we can all relate to.
Uneke uses that dope boom bap sound with K-Def’s scratches and production. The song is a K-Def instrumental which uses vocal samples and countless snippets. Uneke is a wordplay of “unique”. K-Def is a master at producing hip hop and rap for the state of New Jersey.
Marley Marl produced Da Underground Sound himself. Da Underground Sound features Reprise label mates Lords Of The Underground and female New Jersey rapper Sah-B. Marley Marl makes an appearance also. The song samples Digital Underground - Humpty Dance.
5/5*****!!
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