These guys are no joke. Far from your average DJ’s, Optimus and Vindictiv are most known for touring with Grasshopper’s Bigband (check out their new tour dates!) and traveling through Europe performing with artists such as Sole and Buck65. They have definitely earned a respectable position in the somewhat dying turntablism world. Ahh, how we miss the eighties and how a DJ was as important (if not more) as the MC’s. The good old days.
Residing in Middelburg, these two gentlemen prove that the city is more than just conservative fishermen listening to Jan Smit. Putting on shows in the Zeeland area, these guys keep the pulse going in the south.
Alright, on to the mixtape that these men have cooked up. The album starts off with a dope introduction where the gentleman scratch away to word cuts including ‘Gruesome Twosome’ and other punches. The track fades into the second (and by far one of the craziest) tracks on the record. Optimus’s remix of the track Firewater with the emotional guitar sample brings a very melodic mix with the hard vocals. Dope.
The energy definitely does not fade away when we are confronted with artists such as the Ruthless Bastards (what an insane track!) and Cella Dwellas. You see, what makes this mixtape work better than the others is that the chosen tracks have a high ‘adrenaline’ level and the scratches that tie everything together work very well. It’s not like a bunch of DJ’s mixing to the empty bars of a track. No way. These guys are creating music on top of already successful tracks.
When nearing the end of the mixtape, the energy that I mentioned before still does not go away. Making a royal finish with artists such as Charizma, Gangstarr, and Foreign Legion, we are faced with a plate of delicacies.
It’s not all just foreign power that we see on this mixtape. The track with Unorthadox & DJ Git Hyper (from Demonfuzz Records – Rotterdam) brings a new taste with brutal vocals and the boom bap production that is absent from hip hop these days.
In a time where most rap albums do not contain any decent cuts and breaks, Gruesome Twosome comes with a breathe of fresh air. Back to the basics is what it’s all about, and that is exactly what we need. Support these extremely talented men from Zeeland and check this album out (available through their website and select stores). I barely praise the hell out of albums, but this one I really enjoyed. You won’t regret buying it, ik zweertje.
More Information: http://www.realtablist.com
Tracklist:
Side A
Live and Direct
Fatjoe – Firewater (DJ Optimus Remix)
Lord Finesse – You Know What I’m About
Ruthless Bastards – Ruthless Bastards
Cella Dwellas – Maintain
Smoothe da Hustler & Trigger tha Gambler – My Brother, My Ace
Rugged Brood – Look Out
Hieroglyphics – You Never Knew (Remix)
Organized Konfusion – Somehow Someway (DJ Mace Remix)
Side B
Back in this Muthafucka
Mad Skillz – All in It
Juggaknots – Wkrp in NYC
Natural Elements – Tri-Boro
Kool G Rap – Let the Games Begin
Charizma – My World Premier
Gangstarr – Mostly tha Voice
The Beatnuts – Do You Believe (Skillz 1 Remix)
Unorthadox & DJ Git Hyper – I Get’s Hyper
Foreign Legion – Full Time B-Boy
