SOULS OF MISCHIEF Schallplatten & CDs

Review: There are very few albums across any genre that stand the test of time better than 93 'Til Infinity, the classic debut record from the Hieroglyphics Crew's very own Souls Of Mischief. In an era where gangsta rap and g-funk dominated the West Coast rap scene, Souls broke ground on a completely unique and thoroughly West Coast tip. While the Dres and the Snoop Doggs were garnering much of the mainstream attention of the day, Souls were quietly forging a charismatic, critically acclaimed and cohesively shaped record that when categorised, sounded much closer to a tribe called quest than N.W.A.. The resulting sound of their debut is characteristic of the distinct style explored by the collective, including a rhyme scheme based on internal rhyme and beats centered around a live bass and obscure jazz and funk samples.

Review: Hieroglyphics Crew's very own Souls of Mischief's '93 'til Infinity' is a bona-fide hip-hop classic that is as fantastic now as when it was released first time around. That was 30 years ago and to mark the occasion it now gets a special release on limited-numbered blue and yellow cloudy vinyl. It shows the Souls were quietly forging a charismatic, critically acclaimed and cohesively shaped sound with distinctive lyrical wit and a rhyme scheme based on internal rhyme and beats centered around live bass and obscure jazz and funk samples. Superb.

Review: Souls of Mischief will forever be part of hip-hop folklore thanks to their brilliant 1993 long player '93 Until Infinity which remains a classic of the genre. It is often reissued in original and instrumental form and here the best cuts from it that were remixed are all-put together on one hand double album. As such you get several versions of the standout title cut as well as versions of 'Never No More', 'That's When Ya Lost', 'Make Your Mind up' and 'Good Feeling.' A must-cop for the completists out there as well as lovers of brilliant boom-bap beats.

Review: Over the last 12 months Mr Bongo has provided hip-hop heads with a ton of classic, golden-era rap reissues. Here they deliver another, as the title track from the crew's brilliant 1993 LP "'93 Until Infinity" returns on "45", complete with facsimile artwork. The track is undoubtedly one of their best - a jaunty, club-friendly affair in which Taja, Opio, A-Plus and Phesto exchange fluent, loose-limbed rhymes over a brilliantly positive (and slightly) jazzy beat crafted from a Grand Central Station break and selected samples of Billy Cobham's "Heather". The fine A-side vocal version comes accompanied by an essential instrumental take, in which A-Plus's brilliant boom-bap beat gets a much deserved chance to shine.