Underground’s reigning peddlers of electro-hiphop, out of Nashville TN, Legendary Zeroes, are actually starting to sound stylishly avant-garde on their brand new EP “The Clubotomy”. Project leader Ellen Tift, together with Carter Harrell, and Marty Lamain, mix up dance and urban beats, slick harmonies, wonky synth hooks, soaring melodies, and funky bass into one of the year’s wildest sonic stews. Cloying anthems persist, as heady fun pop and fist-pumping sonic monsters give us a glimpse of what the Top 40 could sound like in the not-too-distant future. Every single one of these 6 tracks is precision engineered for club and radio play, and vessels for the sake of having a real good time – preferably on the dance floor. The beats are tight, the mood is right, and you’ll shake your ass well into the night with this collection of songs. Best of all, you’ll still be able to respect yourself in the morning. Unlike many other dance tunes you have spent the night with!
This EP is totally fun, reminding me of the outrageously wild and playful music of the B-52s from the 1980s, the last generation of talented music makers who pushed the music scene with fun and humor. “The Clubotomy” further intensifies Legendary Zeroes’ passion for making music together, for connecting with their audience throughout the most fundamental ways: making people have a good time. I just have to say that Ellen Tift is one of the most solidifying elements of this project.
She has an unusually amazing voice, because of her stratospheric timbre but at no time does she attempt to overpower the group, nor does she try and steal the show. She is but a lead instrument, well played and placed within the sound spectrum. I am highly impressed by how all the elements gel together here.
From the addictive, radio-friendly opener of “Make It Rain” [ft. Kayla Fisher, David Davis], to the funky tongue-in-cheek “Instafamous”, this EP is both inventive, and hard-hitting, and downright infectious.
Though I have previously heard Legendary Zeroes, this recording surprised me on a number of levels and in so many ways. The songs, so well crafted, intense, and fun, each seem like a brilliantly conducted experiment in incorporating dozens of styles and sounds into one, jammed-packed EP.
The luscious and rhythmically attractive “Cha-Ching” [ft. DJ Hustle, Katy Carmichael], switches between tongue twisting raps and richly melodic choruses. While a song like “Too Busy Winning” [ft. J.Bone] cannot be categorized. It cannot be classified. But it can be listened to by just about anyone.
“Summer Sensation” [ft. Kayla Fisher] is a foot-tapping, finger-snapping, beyond amazing, magical musical adventure that will make you feel all gooey and warm inside. Legendary Zeroes are phenomenal entertainers, with real rapping and singing abilities to go along with their great songwriting and production qualities.
Much of which they show off on the show stopping closer, “Can’t Stop Us” [ft. Kelsie Watts, J.Bone]. With this EP Legendary Zeroes prove that Hip-hop is not just confined to the streets, nor is dance music imprisoned inside the clubs – there is a middle ground where you can make wild, beautiful music, meant to uplift every square inch of the soul, without any references to drugs, drinking or sex!
OFFICIAL LINKS: FABULATION RECORDS – FACEBOOK – TWITTER – SPOTIFY
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