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Ed209 - Stillexstatic EP [Voodoo Rhythm Devil]

Tracklisting:
A1. Stillextatic ft. eyezofman
A2. El Mariachi ft Cappo
A3. Live From Siberia ft. Konny Kon
A4. Bazzar Bomberz ft. A-Bomb / Konny Kon / Cappo / eyezofman
A5. Fear & Television
B1. Main Theme 'stillexstatic' inst.
B2. The Chase 'el mariachi' inst.
B3. Now The Fuse Is Lit 'live from Siberia' inst.
B4. Making An Exit 'bazzar bomberz' inst.
B5. Triumph 'fear & television' inst.

Producer Ed209 has been bashing away at his MPC for the last few months and as come up with a stonker of a follow up to his debut EP. This the Stillexstatic EP carries on where the last one left off and the beats are just as savage as ever, but it is said to be the last in the series. A great line up of artists has been assembled by Ed. Midlands MC of the moment Cappo fresh from dropping his two The Get Out LPs appears alongside Leicester based MCs Eyezofman and A-Bomb who are developing in front of us and have also in the past few months dropped their Lost Kingdoms EP, all of whom appeared on Ed's first release the Superextatic EP. The new EP also features guest MC Konny Kon of Manchester's Microdiseacs and fresh from his collaboration on Skull Snap Records. So on to Stillexstatic and the cover is well designed as Ed 209's real life design skills show though as well. Simplistic, but effective the cover looks and reads like a film poster. Apparently for the vinyl release there will be another poster by Mr Jago which should be another treat.

The EP sort of continues that theme with a sort of sound track feel something which has deeply influenced Ed and affected his way of composing. Stillexstatic is uncompromising. The drums are super heavy and roll just as we are used to from this producer. The sounds are crisp and well mixed, the main sample being a looped snippet of some backward strings. Eyesofman spits in his local accent over the shuffling shakers. There is a touch of politics and a great deal of realism thrown into the raps.

Ed's gritty guitar based El Mariachi combines well for Cappo's obdurate and merciless delivery. The chorus of 'rip the party apart' doesn't totally fit with the lyrical content which is really Cappo flipping and twisting lyrics about himself and situations, but not really on too much of a party vibe for me. Yeahhs, stabs of horns and background shakers make for classic Hip Hop production, but nicely updated.

Konny Kon gets busy over the less manic Live From Siberia which is a touch more downbeat with the use of pianos and a mellow horn riff. The snare is still loud, but possibly the track is a bit disappointing next to the others.

The final MC track is the immense posse cut Bazaar Bomberz featuring all of the MCs is as lush in its production as its predecessors, but additionally supremely evocative as the composition as it switches from a hypnotic and blissful full on loop to a sparser eastern bouzouki riff section. There is something about this opus that could bring tears to a grown mans eyes and each of the MCs delivers verses that fit in with the track perfectly.

Fear & Television is just a little slow paced something to prepare for the B side. It is short but deep as Ed once again chooses his samples perfectly. A horn fanfare loops as a vocal plays about how TV is keeping people under manners.

The B side is the full instrumental soundtrack to the vocal A side. Ed's arrangements are complex utilising many sounds and varying patterns from bar to bar. This makes the instrumental more than your usual fodder to freestyle over. This plays like a classical symphony with the depth of orchestration employed. The full 12 minutes pass by seamlessly like a mixtape, or as I have mentioned before, an 80's film soundtrack.

Ed's attitude has always been that he is making music for himself and it is purely a bonus if punters are feeling it as well. This release though is a touch more melodic and perhaps not as remorseless as before, but, never the less it is still very hardcore and you need to be prepared for an aural battering. Having said that though, I can't really commend this highly enough. Go search it out. Ed is soon to be heard on another LP project provisionally entitled Drummers Die Young, which should appear on VRD records as well.

Production by ED209 :: Mixed by ED209 & ADE :: Engineered by Mark 'The Gambler' Gamble 2004
Voodoo Rhythm Devil Records / 209 Productions

Ed209 :: Discography :: Interview :: Superextatic Review
Visit Ed209 on the web: www.superexstatic.com