5/11/13

ALBUM REVIEW: Head Change - MKSB


          A new tape just out last week from MKSB. Delightfully consistent with his work, Head Change is a great follow up to the Cool 2 Chill beat tape. Matt dishes out a lot of delicious sounds, and the tape holds a lot of variety. With this variety provided there are lots of talents showcased. The beats range from: relaxed and jazzy samples, beautiful vocal flips with tons of soul, and a ton of wonderful synths to add an electric feel. The percussion? All the boom nap you want is there, just with Cool 2 Chill there remains plenty of head nodding. With all this said, I'll get into plenty of specifics with some favorites; this will prove difficult as the consistency of this tape in incredible!
          Some more mellow vibes off the tape to begin... Ups and Downs is the prime beat.

Ups and Downs - This one rollssss, such a clean sound. The keys give it a dusty flavor and the tune of them is so warm. The beat is old school too, and I love the boom bap of the older days. The drums are something to. Really nod your head to an infectious boom bap.

Blue - Holding a simple rhythm, Blue is a perfect night track. While also having a strong beat, the snippets of guitar give me a low light feeling. Really fits a dim room, what I consider perfect for lampin'. I can only imagine what I'd be like to go on a drive with this song.

Majestic - This track is absolutely lovely. The track starts out with some lovely soul. The wub wub that travels across my headphones is hypnotic. My mind starts to daydream and everything is softer. Matt throws in plenty of other great elements as well! That sampled "oahah ooh" is so soulful and calming. Vocals are a wonderful treat to any beat, and this one goes in perfectly with the trance already built by the watery rhythm. The piano added later in the song is another fantastic light element. Majestic is a fabulous track.

I Wonder - Another lovely melody. The piano and percussion come together to put my mind on an easy trip down memory lane. I imagine warm sunsets, beautiful summer days, ease of living, and love. My heart is warmed by this track. Reminiscing gets easier and easier as I discover these light songs to serve as the background to my days of thinking.

         I'd like to now cover some of the more soulful tracks, a lot of great vocal sampling on Matt's part. It is that mood music that moves me.

Intro - Well to start the tape off well, we are given this jam first. This one is an absolutely gorgeous tune. Percussion that bangs, a sweet sunny guitar tune, and plenty of "oohs" and "aahhs". You can sing right along to it, and the vibe given off is so fresh. A beautiful start.

Things In Common - A slower track than the intro, this one is just butter. Altering the vocals we get that sweet chipmunk style, which I have always loved. The loop is addicting and I just get touched each time the voice reaches the word "common". The music itself is nice and light.

Somebody Loves You - Definitely heard this tune elsewhere, and I love Matt's take on it. The feeling is dusty, the beat knocks, and the sample is so light. Giving that watery sound to the sample is a great effect! Another nice little sing-a-along.

Push - Right off the bat you can tell this track packs some serious soul. While the vocals are obviously touching, the chords are fantastic. The strings in the back sound so perfect. I of course enjoy the cut off of the drums where one can really enjoy the vocals. That is just a beautiful part, you can tell the words are really being given some more power as they are dragged out. Fantastic!

Never Too Late - This is where one of Matt's tunes shines, the synths of his that is. A great addition to the track, and the loop is so simple and awesome. A clear tune to sing off key too ha ha.

There are many other tracks that I love, and that I recommend you explore! Be sure to check out his older projects, I know he really appreciates it!
Even just last night I got a friend into his music, and know I think I have him hooked on instrumental hip-hop. It is a cool feeling to consider myself a provider of dope sounds.

The album is up on his bandcamp, go purchase! It is only $6 for 21 fantastic beats!
Head Change Beat Tape

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