This is the debut EP from Sydney based MC Macromantics. Clever lyrics and intriguing beats are the order of the day on this 7 track CD.
The record opens with MADLYMANTICS and a beat co-produced by Macro’ herself. The lyrics here serve as a nice introduction (“Fur Elise meets Ramones meets Tom Waits”) and she gives us an indication of her views and where she stands. These personal rhymes work well although the vocal scratching at the start isn’t very good at all.
Personal rhymes give way to the more world-minded Conspiracy and track 2. The rhymes here are shots at the war on terror and the religious rights and wrongs of war. A really cool chorus suits the beat well.
It’s all a conspiracy
that they use guns to set spirits free
we’re at sea floating limitlessly
I hear such piercing screams from the inner me (enemy)
If you thought this track was scary, check out the haunting beat and lyrics of track 3, Dreams. The beat provides a haunting and even scary backdrop for the personal rhymes. I’m not going to bullshit you, I dont really know what this track is really about.
Make up your own mind. I guess it’s just about dreams, really. Quite a cool track anyways.
More light hearted personal and often sarcastic rhymes can be found on the next track. Who-ha is a highlight. The playful lyrics are really rad and the beat is sweet and fitting. Macromantics shows her versatility as she breaks into a little singing halfway through this song then finishes it with fast acapella rhymes.
Where is yr god? is a justified shot at religion. Another haunting beat meshes with sharp lyrics and a profound sounding chorus.
“recline, look up in the sky and write down
all the possible locations where your god is right now
is life allowed to be lived in bright brown
sewers where the purest echos of suicide sound“
I love the intelligent stabs at religion and what’s become of the world.
“Lets get it straight, it wasn’t meant to lead to this”
says it all, really.
The next track is maybe my favourite. ? Future is an attack on how far we’ve come and where we’re going. Lyrics and beat are slower here so you can actually understand every word in this track. A haunting flute gives an excellent backing for the intelligent anti-consumerism rhymes. Macro takes shots at our addiction to TV and how we’re brainwashed by corporations. The lyrics seem really depressing (“insert a quarter into do-it-yourself suicide booth”) but they end on a really optimistic note.
The final track, hYperbolic lOgic, starts out with haunting and almost abrasive synths. The synth saturated scary beat gets almost abstract in places. Personal Rhymes start to go down the depressing route again but the beat eventually uplifts itself and the lyrics follow, ending with an uplifting and fitting last chorus.
This EP probably isn’t for everyone. I loved it, but I think you have to be open minded to enjoy something different like this. The worst part of the EP is sometimes Macromantics seems to get ahead of herself and rhymes too fast to understand. You’ll find yourself struggling to understand a line and then realising you havent been paying attention for a whole verse. This just means you’ve got to keep on your toes and analyze what you hear. If you’re willing to give this a chance (and look past the wack vocal scratching), you’ll find something really wick (thats short for wicked in case you didn’t know).
Best Tracks: who-ha, ? future
I give this CD 9/10 (!!!) as an EP.
I mean, I didnt take off any points for length…cause its supposed to be a EP…and it’s only $15.
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