Tokyo Trawler Recommendation #4 (09/12/09)

Artist: Loer Velocity
Tune: Rehab
Record: Ready for a Renaissance (2006)

Category: Pass the lighter

When you don’t have a Wikipedia page, you’re either a nobody in the grand scheme of things, or you’re super-cool and underground within your chosen art. In this light-hearted* rap collaboration*, Wikipedia-less LV and the other ‘users’ are gathered at the local Narcotics* Anonymous meeting. Whilst LV himself appears for less than half a minute, his rhymes are delivered in trademark* effortless, über* chilled-out* fashion, and the contrasting styles of the various rappers nicely complement* each other, without cluttering* the song’s simple production style. Full of humorous remarks, the unique and innovative* ‘meeting’ concept of this tune almost steer the listener’s attention away from an interesting underlying* social message.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: Thoroughly amusing - a quote generator.

To download or not to download?? 4/5 (ESSENTIAL)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: light-hearted, collaboration, narcotics, trademark, über, chilled-out, to clutter, innovative, underlying

Video Interviews, Shibuya (#2)

Tokyo Trawler Catch of the Day: Lloyd, Australia
Artist: Major Lazer
Tune: Pon de Floor
Record: Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do

Lloyd’s Essential Rating: 5/5

Lloyd’s Message to the people: “You should download this song, because it will make you shake everything, and make you just go insane”

The Interview:



The Tokyo Trawler’s Essential Review:

Category: It’s lucky for you there’s no dancefloor

An utterly strange offering from this relatively new Jamaican outfit lives up to* Lloyd’s billing as a shake-inducer*. Unashamedly* electronic in its production, Pon de Floor is sprinkled with oddities*, including the military-inspired drum line and numerous lilty Jamaican outbursts*; and whereas in some cases this apparent mismatch could alienate* the listener, it is an inexplicable* success on this song. Simple but not hollow*, infectious but not irritating, the song has few lyrics, and actually becomes both more catchy and more interesting with each listen. Despite a rather abrupt* ending, it’s definite contender* for the last song you play at home before hittin’ de club.

The Tokyo Trawler's message to the people: If you think the song is weird, Youtube the video… IT’S MENTAL!!



To download or not to download?? 3/5 (IT’S GOTTA BE DONE)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: to live up to, to induce, unashamedly, oddity, outburst, alienate, inexplicable, hollow, contender, abrupt