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Mighty Joseph (Vast Aire & Karniege) get LP/Digital release via Below System Records

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Below System Records is reviving a hip-hop gem of the mid-aughts with full digital release and first ever vinyl edition.  Mighty Joseph is the combination of Vast Aire (Cannibal Ox) with his long-time rhyme ally Karniege.  The duo’s sole album, Empire State (2008) was released during the tail-end of the last great non-commercial hip-hop period.

Rooted in the concrete streets but lyrically abstract, features and beats are provided by equal musical foils including Madlib, Camu Tao, Murs, J-Zone, Cryptic One, Poison Pen and Vordul Mega (Cannibal Ox) among others.

Fan and critical attention were positive with All Hip Hop summing the album as “solid post-millennium product that bridges the gap between gritty street tales and a paranoid view of the future.”  Plug One Magazine added that Empire State “unravels a unique perspective, documenting not only much personal change between the two emcees but also the changes in the streets of New York City. From poverty, to the September 11 attacks, to the abuse of Hip Hop culture in general, ‘Empire State’ stands strong as a snapshot of the city.”

Pre-order vinyl / digital version of Empire State: https://bsr.ffm.to/empirestate

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Dysmusia Keeps “In your eyes” Honest, Warm And Straight To The Point

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It is easy to see why a songwriter might be drawn to a story like this. Relationships rarely finish as neatly as people would like, and the space between “it is over” and “maybe we should try again” can produce plenty of material. For Dysmusia, that space becomes the setting for latest single “In your eyes”, out now through Now Listen.

The Irish singer-songwriter has a knack for keeping his writing close to everyday life, and this track benefits from that approach. He looks at an old relationship that has already gone through several attempts at making things work, then focuses on what happens when those feelings start creeping back in.

What makes the song appealing is the balance between sincerity and a lighter touch. Dysmusia is clearly invested in the situation, but he does not turn every moment into a grand declaration. There is room for a bit of humour and hesitation along the way, which keeps the song feeling natural.

The arrangement gives the song a pleasing lift. Acoustic guitar sits at the heart of it, with the dropped tuning adding some richness and a second guitar bringing extra colour. The result has folk at its core but carries enough indie-rock influence to give it a little extra punch.

Dysmusia’s Irish background is another part of the picture. Based between Antrim and Dublin and coming from a musical family, he has developed a style that puts storytelling alongside contemporary guitar sounds.

“In your eyes” brings those influences together without making a fuss about them. It is a personable, melodic track about feelings that refuse to follow a neat timetable, delivered with enough warmth to make the story easy to get behind.

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