The part time OFWGKTA member, full time R'N'B singer Frank Ocean dropped a new free single on his Soundcloud last night (8.6.12), a (just under) 10 minute track called 'Pyramids'. This song sounds a little bit what it would be like if the club never ended. But thankfully the club is a 6, and they didn't put on JLS, Lil' Wayne or Jessie J - so it's slightly more tolerable. It's a light hell, the kind that itches the skin but doesn't quit flay it off.
Now, like I tend to do with artists of his ilk, I am downplaying the quality here. It's actually quite a good track. It progresses quite well, with some very nice elements to it, and despite its length is surprisingly toothsome and consistent. There is some nice synth work in here, a nice arpeggio that appears every now and again, like a musical representative of the girl he's singing about (in said club), passing by every now and then, and gaining his attention (I have no idea if this song is about a girl, I just naturally assume this with an R'N'B track - girls, the immortal prize). When it reaches the middle mark (4.30-ish), it very neatly segues into the second episode of the track in quite a progressive and classic electro approach. I do get a sense that Ocean does take a lot of influence from both classic electro artists and modern R'N'B equally - keeping it fresh for people into that kind of genre, and adding considered, retro elements to keep it interesting and funky.
I did like the track. If there is one thing I could say that ruined it for me slightly, it was actually Ocean's vocals. I don't think it added to the track with much flair, it kind of detracts away from the instrumentation and makes you wish that everyone didn't want to be a singer, even good producers. I'm lookin' at you, Cher Lloyd. Stick to what you're good at.
I also like the Simpsons-esque artwork, however there is a bit of Kanye West's MBDTF in there - slightly.
Similar to previous releases from Odd Future, “Rella”, the first track released from ‘OF Tape Vol. 2’, is overshadowed by controversy, this time for its accompanying video. In a nutshell, Hodgy Beats fires lasers from his crotch that turn people into cats, Domo Genesis slaps a woman so hard she changes race, and Tyler, The Creator appears as a cocaine-snorting centaur. Nothing out of the ordinary for Odd Future, and nothing that will please anybody they have offended previously. Then again, did you really think they were going to behave themselves this time around?
As for the track itself, “Rella” is nothing out of the blue. Left Brain provides the music, a bouncing, attention-seeking, adrenaline shot of a backing track that runs out of steam after three-and-a-half minutes. As for the lines spat out of all three mouths; Marilyn Manson and Speedy Gonzalez are amongst the name-checked, all three talk about sex in a misogynistic way, and there is the usual mention of “swag”. Yet again, exactly what we expect from Odd Future.
“Rella” is used as a nickname for someone who does crazy things and feels no shame. Whether this is a direct reference to Odd Future themselves is up for debate. Yet there is something about “Rella” that is just so incredibly addictive, whether the video was created to shock or to amuse, it’s difficult to pry yourself away from it’s madness. And despite this being nothing groundbreaking from the rap collective, who really cares when it’s this intriguing? However, if they are expected to stay afloat in a sea of emerging rap artists, they might want to try something different. Even the most disturbing things they can dream up wouldn’t be as shocking as a new musical direction.
With the upcoming predicted return of the ‘lost’ Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All high profile member Earl Sweatshirt, the blog buzz is gagging around their dicks once again. It still isn’t entirely clear where Earl has apparently been, but now he’s returned, I’m pretty sure nobody gives a shit about that now. After giving a sneak preview of a song and demanding 50,000 Twitter followers in order to hear it in full, the kids leapt, gave him double that and received their present. It’s called ‘Home’, and it’s above. Fittingly titled, and it’s a good track. He concludes at the end of the song that he’s “back”; so that’s good, isn’t it? It’s fair to say that Earl Sweatshirt is one of the premier members of Odd Future, with his distinctive vocals and his technically interesting and smooth samples, it’s nice to see that he has returned to the fold. After Tyler, The Creator (the movement’s king and overlord) released his dreadfully disappointing second album in the form of GOBLIN, it felt a little like the bubble had been burst on the bastion of Odd Future’s credibility. The album pays far too much attention to his fame, to negative blog posts nobody cares about now, and far too much rape-rap to really want to listen to - and is a generally clumsy, ugly and unsatisfying album. From releasing the album such a stand out album in BASTARD, and introducing a lot of people to rap and r’n’b who wouldn’t have before him, introducing concepts that rappers shy away from far too much, like depression and mental issues, growing up fatherless, and the fact that rappers like Jay Z are too obsessed with bragging about ‘Gucci’ and directing their music towards a society of people they’ve created a divide from. He provided an interesting niche in an unmoving genre that really needed it. But many now feel, he lost it.
Since then, the momentum for Odd Future has been wavering, relying on a few lesser skilled MCs and producers to take the helm. And in fairness, there have been a diverse set of releases from projects like The Internet, Mellowhype and Frank Ocean, all serving a distinct purpose that are doing a lot more than most radio r’n’b artists are. However, nothing essential, in honesty. So, what is Odd Future now? Has it suffered from the frailties of being a Cult Of Personality skit? Far too many people were blogging about and wearing Odd Future, but how many are really listening to it? And how many of them, in fact, really understand its appeal? See, the problem with fashion is its reasons for existence can literally be defined by its popularity, which makes trying to convince someone that Odd Future lacks it, in many ways a hard task. But is it such a bad thing? People do have problems with the whole movement. I personally flit between admiration and dismissal very easily. I don’t think i’ve quite bought the season ticket to Odd Future’s banquet. Also, their popularity isn’t the kind that is usually associated with rap. It’s very popular in the ‘indie’ and ‘hipster’ blog buzz, but not really with the traditional rap audience. Basically, it allowed white kids to admire black kids for behaving like white kids while making music for black kids that was in turn enjoyed by white kids. And it’s not surprising that this has happened, Odd Future are hardly a traditional bunch of r’n’b/rap artists. From their material, to their beats, to their age and even to their fashion sense, they seem to be more in-tune with young stereotypically white atheists than young black Christians. It’s fair to say they’re a different generation of kids, with a clear influence from free thinking philosophies, punk and DIY aesthetics, and the hipster (there needs a positive synonym for that word, seriously) artist buzz of the last five years. And, in honesty, I think it’s totally a good thing. They’re a very positive and brilliant influence - in a genre highly populated by misogynists, religionists, materialists, money-obsessed, stupid people hyped over nothing and selling out before they even understand the music industry - these guys are literally doing it for themselves, for the love of it, the love of creating it, the love of putting it out there, the love of being different, not doing what is expected of you, living free and not conforming to conventional thinking or conventional living. Simply, doing whatever you want to do, how you want to do it. It’s certainly progressive and encouraging. But, like everyone else it seems, I have fallen into the cult of personality trick right before your eyes, reader. I’ve spent all this time talking about them, and not their music. But, the thing is, it’s important. And as much as their music has lacked slightly in places, it’s still wildly brilliant that it exists. They’re changing what it is to be rappers, and getting popular doing that. I mean, they’re not doing it to the extend artists like Death Grips are musically, but as a social and personality led movement, they are encouraging.
So, with this exciting return of Earl Sweatshirt - who knows, Odd Future could just have turned the corner along their corridor to achieving their true brilliance, and achieving the potential that everyone on the blog-o-sphere is hoping for. 2012 looks to be an interesting year for Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. In the words of the gang, 'Swag'.
