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Non-Thespian - The Art Of Conflict 12" [Dealmaker]
Non-Thespian - The Art Of Conflict 12" [Dealmaker]
Tracklist:
01. Sanity's Requiem
02. Humans Of A Lesser God
03. Bitter Harvest
04. Pain Killer Journal
05. Instrumental

Check it, this four man Nottingham crew formed around producer Dwyz, MC's Lethargy and Duke 01 alongside DJ Johny Crump have been making a bit of noise around their area and via their label - Dealmaker Records they have dropped a few unofficial releases. Now that have their proper debut set to drop on Dealmaker and we are here to let you know what it is like. Across the four vocal tracks it is a dark and bleak production which will leave you feeling moody, irritable and pessimistic. The crew have a dark outlook which definitely comes across in their music and adds to the morose feeling that pervades the release. Down tempo and a touch ploddy on the beats the scene is set for the MCs to let loose with some word play and flip some syllable twisting rhymes. True to the ideal of UK Hip Hop MC Duke 01 and Lethargy spit frenetically, but can on occasion sit back in the mix and loose their presence on the mic as their verbiage bellows forth.

The wax opens with Sanity's Requiem which has a fitting intro featuring a godly film advert voice type narration dark strings and an imposing slow beat. Each MC has different intonations MC Duke 01 sounding more London than Lethargy. Each MC takes the majority of the verse but extensive back up vocals make for a combined effort, but become less hyper as the track progresses. Humans Of A Lesser God gets going with an acapella rap which fades up and the beat builds around it as different elements are brought into the mix. In a preachy manner Duke 01 kicks his verse with spoken word flows. Generally the raps are all mystical with astrological references mixed in with all sorts of Mythology with a bewildering result which probably needs more studying to get to the bottom of what the message actually is.

The B side gets going with the dark statement 'Evil' and another sinister and mysterious production which as with the others is slow, downbeat and has a sort of MOL sound. The 12" plays like a sci-fi horror movie with the final track continuing this relentless onslaught, with my overall feeling that the drum programming had let this release down. The whole thing is rounded off with an instrumental too. The drum sounds have a nice crackle to them and the beach sounds and pianos are well selected as are the vocal samples.

Non-Thespian like to bring it raw and be a bit different, but for me what they are doing isn't anything new, and lacks for me the vital groove, funk, swing or whatever else you want to call that elusive element. Being grimey doesn't necessarily mean that you have to lose this, but at the same time there is definitely a potential and a drive here that should be encouraged. The sticker design looks the part with a dope graf logo and a design which incorporates a phrenology head and their Non-Thespian logo. If you like the sound of what their press calls, 'always the finest blend of beats, rhymes and live instruments' then make sure that you check this out...

Related Links:

 www.non-thespian.com :: Email:[email protected]

Non-Thespian - Dwyz Non-Thespian - Johnny Crump aka JC Non-Thespian - Lethargy aka Jesse

Non-Thespian - MC Duke 01 aka Stinx

Intro Early Doors:
1979-1985
False Dawn:
1985-1990
Underground Years:
1990-1995
The Renaissance:
1995- 2000
The Future:
2000 & Beyond
Artists &
Discographies

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