Single of the Week: Ellery James Roberts - "Kerou's Lament (犠牲)"

Somehow forgot to do this on Tuesday. Apologies.

The first solo track to be released from Ellery James Roberts, after disbanding his acclaimed group WU LYF last year following just one album, gives off a strong sense that the singer feels emancipated in a way rarely conveyed with such intensity. Borrowing from Lil B/Clams Casino's "I'm God" Roberts chooses his first singular musical statement to be one of world-beating anthemia. The gruff passion in his vocal delivery could easily be compared to that of Bruce Springsteen, punctuating mantras like "You fucked up this world but you won't fuck with me" with a individualised violence, as if speaking for a whole world of sufferers of greed and corruption. A truly singular vision. Perhaps it's time for the masses to sit up and pay attention.

Single of the Week: El-P - "Rush Over BKLYN"

We are currently undergoing the resurgence of El-P. This is a good thing. The ex-Company Flow member has enjoyed recent guest spots on releases by the likes of Das Racist and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, and looks to release a new solo record, Cancer for Cure, sometime next year. In August he released the first single from that album, "drones over BKLYN", via Adult Swim's singles program. Now, using the new sample-clearing service Legitmix, El-P provides his own remix of the track entitled "Rush Over BKLYN", incorporating a sample of 70's prog giants Rush's "Tom Sawyer". Makes me think that DJ Shadow ought to have called El for his latest album with the prog-metal sounds he was using on his recent album. Next year can't come soon enough.

RUSH OVER BKLYN by PRODUCTOMART

All proceeds from the sales of "Rush Over BKLYN" go towards a fund to benefit DJ Mr. Dibbs, currently suffering from liver disease. You can purchase the track here.

Here's the original, "drones over BKLYN":



Sorry I missed Album of the Week last Friday, had stuff on. Tom Waits' Bad as Me if you're interested. Won't happen this week, there's too many good releases right now.