Brassmunk

Brassmunk have always possessed a collective ethos that evokes old school hip-hop. Often passing the mic like a hot potato on their 2003 Dark Sunrise debut, the Toronto quartet’s egalitarian approach to MCing sacrificed ego and was firmly informed by the beats, an approach reminiscent of the days when the DJ’s name was presented first in the name of hip-hop groups. However, on the Fewturistic the old meets the new. Gravel-voiced MC Reign has replaced May One 9 and the MCs, who include S-Roc and Clip, actually kick full verses more often than they have in the past and successfully experiment with vocals. Hands down though, the sonic quantum leap negotiated by producer/DJ Agile is the notable revelation. Boasting cavernous, speaker-rattling bass throughout, Agile’s intricate and meticulous production largely favours progressive and cosmic undertones, often with a sinister edge. S-Roc, Clip and Reign take the apocalyptically-tinged cue, reflecting on the new world order, kicking paranoid rhymes on entries like "One, 2 Many Problems” and "Devil’s Playground,” with the sobering subject matter delivered in their inimitably lucid manner. This however, doesn’t mean Brassmunk have forgotten their party-starting roots. On the contrary, they’re not averse to blowing raspberries on the Kardinal Offishall-assisted "Say Uh?” or revelling in the creative process on the addictively ethereal "Music and Magic.” If Brassmunk are convinced that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, they’re at least going to make sure they’ll have fun while it lasts.