Formed by long term collaborators Sixtoo and Stigg Of
The Dump, Villain Accelerate present their first album,
Maid Of Gold. Released on Mush, home of the
cream of visionary hip-hop, including the likes of cLOUDDEAD,
Boom Bip and Daedelus,
Maid Of Gold wanders far beyond the realm of
traditional hip-hop to focus on wider sonic landscapes.
As well as releasing his own work, Canadian-born Sixtoo
already is a respected figure on the underground hip-hop
scene, with production work for a string of artists
including Sage Francis’s debut, Personal Journals.
He also regularly collaborates with Buch65 on the Sebutones
project, with whom he released an album, 50/50 Where
It Counts, in 2002. But it is with his solo incarnation
that he remains best known, with releases on Vertical
Form, Anticon and Ninja Tune amongst others. Sixtoo
has become, in only a few years, one of the major players
on the underground hip-hop scene. Hailing from Ireland,
although now living in the US, Stigg Of The Dump is
a recent new comer compared to Sixtoo, yet, with just
one EP, the critically acclaimed Still Alive At
The Veglia Lounge, featuring Sebutones on vocal
duties, he has already started to make a name for himself.
Joining forces for this new project, Sixtoo and Stigg
concoct a truly inspirational and evocative blend of
moody instrumentals on Maid Of Gold. Built
around drowsy beats and atmospheric sounds, the sixteen
tracks featured on this album reveal unsettling landscapes,
creating what is already being described as one of Mush’s
most important release. As the tracks progressively
settle under the skin, Maid Of Gold becomes
more and more impressive. Using electronics, found sounds
and sample with great care, the pair apply dense textures
and craft delicate beats to develop moments of cinematic
beauty. The album kicks in with an eerie sound structure
that threatens to collapse at any time. As the beat
draws in and the vaporous melody builds up, the mood
becomes even more tensed, yet the pair appear to reinforce
the foundations of this piece to bring it to life, pretty
much setting the tone for the rest of the album. Maid
Of Gold and Things Told only reinforce
the atmospheric canvas of this album, simply developing
the melodies and soundscapes to reassess their compositions.
If the use of samples sometimes appear a bit obvious
(the record crackles at the start of Paper, Boxbutter,
Rock), they however fit the ambience perfectly,
often simply reinforcing the Mogadon-fueld rhythmic
structures. Maid Of Gold could often be mistaken
for the modern soundtrack of an old black and white
thriller movie. The pair create here an uncompromising
collection of tracks, letting them evolve slowly, leaving
the listener feeling uncomfortable and tensed, yet,
by working of the evocative nature of their music, Sixtoo
and Stigg also provide here a rather beautiful piece
of work.
Drawing as much from Sixtoo’s vast experience
as from Stigg’s fresh vision, Maid Of Gold
is a stunning debut, twisting the natural perspective
of hip-hop to open new doors and invade new spaces.
Despite its dark atmosphere, this album remains accessible
and could well establish Villain Accelerate as a major
act in its own right.
4.7/5 |
