Ancient Astronauts & Azeem
Broken Puppets
One of the paramount names in underground hip-hop, Germany's Ancient Astronauts aim to show up their American contemporaries with a work that is every bit as forward-thinking as it is old-school. A heady, brewing commixture of hip-hop, soul and elucidating poetry, BROKEN PUPPETS serves as a staggering volley into the radio-ready market, which is sure to find the band an audience beyond their cultishly small and devoted fanbase. On their fourth full-length LP, Ancient Astronauts, once again, employ the talents of Bay Area lyricist Azeem, master of the seven-rhyme technique. Turning out his self-called "medicine bag" of lyrical formulas, Azeem applies his rhymes like sutures on these 12 soul-seeping hip-hop mash-ups. His work with the Cologne-based duo extends eight years back; the sci-fi hip-hop noodlings on the spacey, sublime We Are To Answer was a sagacious meeting of minds, a work in which Azeem would offer resources of astonishing talent. Since then, he has continued to collaborate with Ancient Astronauts, helping to create multifarious works which amalgamate the various strands of hip-hop and electronica across a broad spectrum. A prolific artist in his own right, Azeems work as a solo artist has produced five albums (not including a stellar release with California outfit Variable Unit). His ongoing work with Ancient Astronauts has never been anything less than electrifying and his prominent featurings on this new album reveal even greater heights reached through a collective inspiration. On BROKEN PUPPETS duo Kabanjak and Dogu, who comprise Ancient Astronauts, exercise a new dynamic in their globe-spanning hip-hop, one that encompasses the bass-heavy exploits of reggae and dub. Tracks like "None of the Above" are generated with the synergistic burn of two uncompromising talents; the Astronauts squared rhythm of electro-dub works to contain the strolling lyricism of Azeems beat poetry. The turntablist boom bap of "Poetic Occupation" places Azeem toe-to-toe with yet another master of hip-hop lyricism, Divine Styler. Not the drag-out battle rap of the low-brow sort, "Poetic Occupation" sees hip-hop as the province of two intellectually-sound gentlemen, finessing their rhymes with aplomb and class.