What’s great about the young and developing scene we have in London (and beyond), is the sheer diversity of it. It seems every day a new artist is coming to our attention, sounding new and innovative and original, yet still so distinctly British. Artists are getting weird and artists are getting experimental, and it’s due time we started highlighting some of these creatives that may otherwise slip under our radar. With that being said, welcome back to Go Left; GRM’s guide to alternative grime, hip-hop and R&B, the best of what you may not have heard yet.
This week we’re not going to do our usual playlist; instead, we’re reviewing a very special release, from legendary MC Trim. He’s released his debut LP 1800-Dinosaur Presents Trim, on the aforementioned label from James Blake.
Trim is an uncompromisingly left-field album from the grime scene veteran, and features a wealth of incredibly talented producers from the UK. Underground heroes like James Blake himself, Happa, Boothroyd and plenty more all make contributions.
The instrumentation ranges from loud, industrial and explosive – like album stand-out “Waco”, produced by Airhead – to sleek and modern (“Before I Lied”), to understated and minimal (“Among The Living”). Sonically, the project exists somewhere between a post-Yeezus landscape of hip-hop, underground bass music and the murky depths of pure and unfiltered grime.
Don’t get it twisted though, as despite the outstanding production, Trim’s lyrical prowess still stands as the album’s greatest testament. His status as a veteran means his craft has been all-but perfected, and he really shows it off on this project. Just check the LP’s intro track “Stretch” for confirmation: “The kid’s from grime, but I don’t think the scene coulda held my weight/ Trim, They want me to have some respect like ‘know my place.'”, he raps. “F**k them, I’ll slap shit out your mouth like ‘wait, do you like this taste?'” he confidently concludes.
1800-Dinosaur Presents Trim is a must-listen, for anybody into UK grime, rap or just music generally. There’s enough here to whet the appetite of most fans of good music. Check out one of the most experimental projects our scene has produced recently on the stream above and support it on iTunes.
We will be uploading more alternative videos onto our YouTube channel. If you fit in with those who don’t fit in, are part of the Go Left gang and have something wavy for us, send an email to [email protected]
While you’re here, check out last week’s collection of waviness right here.