PRINTED IN OCTOBER ISSUE XLR8R / ISSUE 101 While his debut isn't the sonic palate-cleanser that his moniker implies, producer Robert Krums shows promise on Another Early Evening. Showcasing both his dense instrumentals and rapper-friendly tracks, it's a respectable introduction that includes flattering references from contributing rappers like Chicago's Psalm One and Diverse. Earmint's steadily bubbling and recalibrating beats aren't wedded to any one style, and the disc shuffles from the trampoline-bounce background of opener "The Flash Slang" to the languid "So Much For Nothing" and the slightly muted DJ Shadow-like stampede of "Cut to Carchase." He's not exactly the freshmaker yet, but he could be in time.
PRINTED IN B&S 977 / ICE CUBE COVER / AUG 23 - SEPT 5 2006 BLUES & SOUL HIP-HOP COLUMN (PRINTED IN B&S 977 / ICE CUBE COVER / AUG 23 - SEPT 5 2006)
You might not expect a bespectacled white dude from
Chicago who grew-up listening to rockers the Nine Inch Nails to be that on-point when it comes to Hip-Hop production. But
Windy
Citymaestro EarMintblows all preconceptions out of the water on his entertainingly unpredictable album, "Another Early Evening". An engaging mixture of both instrumental and vocal cuts (featuring a choice selection of subterranean emcees), the musical boy wonder delivers anything but typical tracks, revelling in his rebellious musical mentality and drawing influences from a vast pool of sound. "The Flashy Slang" features one of Chi-town's finest lyricists, Psalm One, bobbing and weaving around Mint's loping track, flexing a catchy sing-song delivery that only momentarily disguises her vicious verbals. Illogic wraps his colourfully abstract wordplay around the chunky production of "Haven't Been Home", whilst Murs and Anacron drop some hilariously politically-incorrect sexual politics on the tongue-in-cheek "I'm The". Of the instrumental tracks, "Cut To Carchase" is a chaotic ride filled with explosive beats and "Attack On All Fronts" could easily be the soundtrack to a Hip-Hop suspense thriller.
Earmint has an ear minted for production that’s for sure. Raunchy hip-hop beats thick with bass that will rattle even the most mighty of subs along with eclectic samples and weird electro pop cuts comprise the majority of this dynamic hip-hop album. With a complexity that is typical of turntablism, “Another Early Evening” leans on emcee work by the likes of Diverse (Chocolate Industries), Roc C (Stones Throw), Murs (Def Jux), and Psalm One and Illogic both of Rhymesayers. His witty cuts are peerless and define what abstract hip-hop is all about. Get this now.
EV Records newest relese -Earmint is at the top of the pile of the millions of bedroom producers falling from their linen in the morning. Dwelling in the windy city that is Chicago, Earmint presents "Another Early Evening", a predominantly instrumental album with other tracks featuring the vocal talents of artists such as, Psalm One, Diverse, Illogic, Murs, Anacron, Roc C, Longshot, Samantha Dole and Katherine Peters.
The 18 track long player from Earmint is unrestricted by boudaries and expands the colourful spectrum of musical art. It may take a few listens for your ears to warm to the soundscape of Earmint, who's individual tracks almost transform movies into audio form. Although the music provides a worldly journey through music, at times it can seem congested, requiring you're senses to adjust to the, sometimes chaotic sounds. Pack to the rim with weird and wonderful sounds from vintage synths and obscure samples the boundaries are trutly broke throughout the album, which runs so smoothly through the 18 tracks you may not recognise the begining of the next and end of the last.
A solid release that provides an interesting listen which, given time, you will find a piece of Earmints exploration of music that appeals and relates to your interests whether it be the industrial drums of Wreck Stop, the bounce of Be That or just the humour of the vocal samples through.Whatever your tastes, Earmint is guarenteed to challenge and intrigue you.
This is another stellar release from the highly underrated (as far as I’m concerned) EV Records label, who has brought you white-hot heat from the likes of Coppershot, Modill, and many others you should be listening to. Worthy of addition to that list is Chicago-based producer Earmint, who blesses us with a sprawling opus of staticky hip-hop constructions that reveal a thoughtful, IDM/experimental sensibility as well as sheer crate-digging prowess. With a gang of samples, some noisy drums and some analog bass, Earmint manages to create intricate, spacious beats that sound as big as whole counties. The only name that comes to me in terms of comparison is labelmate K-Kruz (of Modill) and that’s just because of the amount of sound they use. But whereas Kruz’ beats are like cleanly cut pieces of newly buffed chrome, Earmint’s resemble shreds of a rusted old oil drum chopped with a dull hatchet; and I mean that in the best way possible. His large samples are slathered with grime and static that’s only tempered by a squelchy analog bassline. Touches like haunting vocal loops or a subtle trumpet line (not to mention a healthy does of reverb) help to stretch the sonic space into infinity. He works with a number of great MC’s as well. I found that for the most part, he scales things back a bit in order to fit in the MC, opting for more central, catchier elements, like the loopy pianos and strings of “Watch My Climb” (featuring Chi-Town rhyme sniper Longshot) or the stuttery flutes and horns that pepper the neck-snapper “Be That,” which again features Longshot as well as west coaster Roc C. “Bluesinger” is another highlight, featuring Chicagoan Diverse, a bunch of nicely chopped flute samples and an ill reggae breakdown, as is “I’m The” which finds longtime cohorts Murs and Chicago’s Anacron getting ignorant with the ladies over an electro-fied, neck-snapping track. The instrumentals that make up the rest of the album are pretty much all strong, with the moody shapeshifter “So Much for Nothing,” the tense, cinematic “Attack on All Fronts,” and the gnashing, overdriven samplefest “Cut to Carchase” standing out in particular. While he’s been compared to auteurs like RJD2 and Madlib, I prefer to place him alongside ultra-talented sample slayers like Meaty Ogre or Maker, as his sound has an emotional, considered quality similar to the aforementioned pair of renowned Windy City beatsmiths. If you are a fan of any of the producers I mentioned, or even more experimental heads like Dabrye or Daedelus, you’ll be wanting to add this to your collection.
Remember that feeling you got back in 1996 when you first put on DJ Shadow’s opus Endtroducing… and heard “Changeling?” Hip-hop’s sonic possibilities were blown the hell open. Critics and record diggers were befuddled at the quality of this production opus. Erections lasting more than four hours occurred because of repeated listening and not Cialis binging. Well, 10 years and beaucoup producer albums later, Chicagoan Earmint delivers a dope LP that will undoubtedly get lost in the glut of other records of its kind.
Another Early Evening has its share of worthy moments, though. The loopy opener “The Flashy Slang” features Psalm One, the female supa emcee with a blindingly bright future. Murs, the illest rapper your G-Unit-loving younger brother will never hear, shows up on the funk-forward “I’m The,” which calls all trifling chicks on the carpet.
For the most part the vocal tracks are well-chosen. Besides the two aforementioned numbers, there’s the serene, indie-rock leaning “Then Go Outside,” featuring Samantha Cole and Katherine Peters. Cole’s disembodied voice hovers above a bed of gentle guitars, metallic drums and declarative synths. It’s all very lovely, really. And it shows that Earmint has the, um, ear for concocting some intriguing left-of-center sounds. Take the ominous “So Terrible it’s Terrifying.” Beautiful, down-tempo darkness reigns and that said phrase is repeated throughout most of the song, courtesy of a haunting vocal snippet.
Thankfully, Earmint is adept enough to allow for tonal change in his music. “Good Grief” is a playful, head-nodder and perhaps a sly ode to that favorite cartoon character we all know and love, Charlie Brown.
There is no question that Earmint has the chops to create sounds that can cut across genres, from orthodox hip-hop to broken beat, from rock to soul, even. It’s like Ragu, it’s all in there, baby.
Still, this ain’t 1996. Another Early Evening comes at a time when other alternative-hip-hop affairs of the instrumental variety have come and gone, with DJ Shadow’s effort leaving the largest imprint. The sad part of it all is that hasty critics will undoubtedly mistake Another Early Evening as a dead ringer for um, Deadringer, RJD2’s sterling 2002 record.
The temptation to compare these two records is too great. But if you can listen to Earmint’s effort and judge it on its own merit, you will undoubtedly be rewarded. Let’s just hope that with quality comes a little recognition for dude.
Another in an army of part-time producers who now have the hardware (a computer) and the distribution channels (the Internet) to put out a hip-hop record,
Chicago head Earmint creates a diverse soundscape that studies how to make and break melodies. As do most heads with good overall taste but foremost a love of hip-hop, Earmint, aka Robert Krums, cites the Smiths and the Cure as influences. However, it's clear that not everything he likes makes a mark on this record, which stays squarely within the indie thread: disparate samples pulled from obscure sources, ironic voice-over material, homemade drumlines and always an awareness of groove. Most of it will keep your head bobbing and your ears perked for the clever sounds that populate the rather elaborate mixes. He's also got an impressive handful of cameos and uses most wisely.
The rude but hilarious "I'm The," featuring Murs and Anacron, brings one of the most straighforward beats to a discussion of women's underwear. And the pensive "Haven't Been Home," with Illogic spitting a controlled rant, borrows from the dark sides of Aesop Rock and Atmosphere. Other parts aren't nearly as strong, however, and the record needed a far stricter editor. On "So Much for Nothing," Earmint highlights samples that amount to nothing more than a lyrical non sequitur, and on the opening track, he threatens to lose himself in the lily-white pastiche of Har Mar Superstar. Overall, he's not as eclectic as Edan or as skilled as RjD2, but this is a listenable record with an impressive cast of names from across the indie hip-hop scene. And being that deep in that talent should prove only to make him sharper. GRADE: B-
Two slices of good ol funk from Chicago beat head Earmint. Be That is the killer here with a schizophrenic spine snapping groove and well hidden Curtis Mayfield sample. Each side features a rap heavyweight with Murs weighing in on the bass creeper Be That and Stones Throws Roc C on Be That the pick of the bunch.
if this 12 is anything to go by Earmints new album will be something special.
Yet another emerging talent from Chicago, Earmint first made some noise in the hip-hop world when his fine production landed on Diverse’s “Just Biz” release. Since then he’s been piecing together his first record and has heavyweights such as Diverse, Murs and Psalm One lending a hand to make it a worthwhile spin and plant the seed for further development. Another Early Evening starts off real well with Psalm One laying down a nice hook and strong lyrics for a terrific off-kilter jam called “The Flashy Slang.” Followed by a handful of instrumental jams before Diverse tears things up on “The Bluesinger” it’s noticeable that Earmint might be better off working with MCs rather than being left to fill the gaps with vocal samples to carry an entire song. It’s not that his work as a composer is that bad, but it tends to slow the record down quite a bit, especially when his best beats seem to be the simple verse and chorus approach. There are little moments like the quick “Wreck Shop” that has some interesting sample chopping as well as a handful of other nice ideas that just don’t seem to entirely take off. Earmint is equally influenced, if not more, by bands like Depeche Mode and New Order as he is with hip-hop artists so there might be a case of pop experimentation slipping its way into the mix, but there’s enough here to assure Earmint will be placed nicely amongst the current
Chicago hip-hop uprising.
Listening to this on the heels of the Dr. Octagon, well, I'm a bit underwhelmed. But only a bit. That's how good Earmint is.
Stellar collage beatwork is the centerpiece here. Folks like Diverse, Murs, Longshot and Psalm One (reviewed in "Also Recommended" in this issue) drop by to add a little flow--good work, too, not just yer usual guest shot crap--but Earmint doesn't let up even when an MC is hanging out.
The sound is more crunchy than smooth. Some of that is the collage technique, but more than that I think Earmint wants to keep an aggressive sound. I like that. Always keep the listener on the defensive.
Not pretty, but quite possibly beautiful. There are sounds here I'd never imagined before. Which is why I listen to music in the first place. www.aidabet.com
A strong first album from producer, Earmint. Some large beats that never get tired. Guests include PSALM One, Diverse, Overflo, Illogic, Murs, Anacron and many others...
Now this ain’t strictly 100% hip-hop buy there is enough good Hip-Hop moments on this CD to warrant a review. I mean who could sleep ‘The Bluesinger’ featuring Diverse. This will have fans of labels such as Stones Throw Records jumping up and down in joy as it hits hard with something special. Illogic gives up his services too on a nice flute led groove called ‘Haven’t Been Home’. It was also nice to see Longshot feature here too, as we interviewed them recently for Rago. This album is slightly experimental but heads should check for this.
More indie hip-hop featuring fantastically creative beats and rhymes. “The Flashy Slang” has a haunting vocal sample, a swinging 6/8 beat, with one little dirty blues lick that ties it all together—and Psalm One’s rhymes are spot on. The albums strongest points however are the instrumentals—like the math-rock pump that is “Cut to the Carchase” or the laid back jams of “Good Grief” and of course the ethereal closer “Then Go Outside” that could be the best song Zero 7 never wrote.
First, Earmint was a pleasant surprise. I almost overlooked it, but my attentive summer intern brought it to my attention. Earmint is the beat maker and a wonderful beatmaker he is. His "Another Early Evening" was bangin on the very first track, "The Flashy Slang" featuring PsalmOne.
"The Flashy Slang" has a nice slow rhythm to it. Psalm One gives the song flavor with her style of lyricism. But forgive me if I'm wrong, but I went to put this track in rotation on my radio show and I believe the hook on the song says "...let ya nuts hang, hang..." It's a bit crafty and I did not take my chances on putting it on the air. And of course, since the phrase in question is in the hook, I did not bother to perform an edit. Who is at a loss here...? My die hard listeners - both of them, oh yeah. Record companies kill me - they edit some of the profanity, but they leave in 'flashy slang.' Anyway, Earmint is flowing with the beats throughout the project. And despite his skill set, he enlists the talents of Murs, Longshot, Roc C, Illogic and others. It's a little less than an hours worth of sound, but you will dig this one, fo sho.
On a piece of yellow legal tablet paper I jotted some notes about Earmint’s new album Another Early Evening as I road to work on the train:
Earmint
.: Some great contributors and hot risers – esp. Lipp [Hefty Records], Psalm One [Rhymesayers], Illogic [Weightless/Dove Ink], LongShot
.: An album made track-to-track without a concept feel. These are slow rolling beats, that kinda fill the background.
.: Lipp track – perfect collaboration for Lipp b/c he uses breakbeats with electronic guises over the top. This is him over the top of Earmint’s sampled and pasted beats.
.: Diverse [Chocolate Industries]
- singing "Yeah…yeah…yeah"
- switches to dub backstep
- uses two note xylophone lick – unique, sorta in a weird Mr. Scruff sort of way
.: #6 ["So Much For Nothing"] – Dr. story "catching the clap"…great, hilarious sample
.: Overflo track – vocals are the melody, catchy, ghetto blaster downbeats make track energetic
.: Illogic – bass rotating overhead like oscillating machine turbines
.: "Good Grief" – example of how the music can be too busy. Constant talking sample from Charlie Brown cartoon. Switching between tempos and rhythm samples without true transition.
.: Murs [Definitive Jux Records] – some dirty shit, but fucking hilarious
.: Album’s "(Instro)" tracks are like listening to music from a producer like Four Tet, except without psychedelics or experimentation.
.: Krums looks for the kill too often. He doesn’t transition or tangent enough to make his killer samples or the fact that he stacks great riffs and beats, stand out.
.: Earmint works in who he aligns himself with.
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Those were my first impressions listening to hip-hop producer Robert Krums, better known as Earmint. Although some of the comments seem underdeveloped, you can see where they are often going – Another Early Evening has a lot of quirky sounds and odds and ends to be described.
Earmint is a bedroom hip-hop producer, finding his samples and tinkering with his sounds not in some expensive, glitzy studio but in his home quarters, where his thoughts are most personal. It is a surprise that someone with such an intimate creative space managed to put together a strong cast of MCs, guest producers and artists to contribute to his debut for
Chicago ’s EV Productions.
The strength of Another Early Evening is found when Earmint’s beats and hooks are perfectly tailored to suit guest spots. From the album’s outset, when rising female MC Psalm One croons "Yeeeeahayyyy…what you say now/ Kill ‘em all slow with the flashy slang" over concrete snare and a chorus of "Ooooo ooooo"-ing voices, you know it’s going to be all good.
18 tracks are held together by samples of aggressive but subtle beats and instrumental soul sounds, with keyboards, organs, winds, operatic singing, echoing saxophone, sharp xylophone, dusty guitar and bass coming together to define this eccentric DJ’s style. The music is not too busy, but it is hardly empty; instead it brims with a host of different textures flowing within each track.
Showing the true signs of a keeper album, the more one listens to Another Early Evening, the more it grows. By seeing 11 tracks with "feat." credits, Evening may seem like a guest list welcoming line at a local hip-hop showcase. Earmint’s value is in collecting and building an album of integrating parts from the top down. Backpackers and Prefuse 73-loving, glitch-hoppers will consider this album an underground favorite.
Only few years into his beat-making adventures in 2004, self-admitted "bedroom producer" Earmint was already working with local breakout lyricist Diverse. Since then, the graphic designer by day has been using everything from his laptop to an eight dollar acoustic guitar to churn out his unrestrained debut, Another Early Evening (EV). With this album, Earmint joins forces with Longshot and other top-notch
Chicago reps, and he gladly shares the boards with fellow exploratory instrumentalists like Eliot Lipp. But whether he's doing collaborations or not, this resourceful beatsmith runs the gamut of sounds, from dramatic DJ Shadow-esque instrumentals to straight up hiphop bangers.
press for DIVERSE "against me" off the JUS BIZ 12" on chocolate industries
In his relatively short time in the hip-hop "game" (if you will), Diverse has shown an amazing propensity for getting good production from good producers. He's batting damn near 1000 on beats. Enter Earmint. Who the f*ck is Earmint? He's the fella who just made a beat that would fit right in with the contributions of RJD2, Prefuse and Madlib on Diverse's premier LP. Eerie synths sprinkled with organ stabs comprise the meat of this one.
The final track "Against Me" really took me by surprise. The beat produced by Earmint, is a mixture of an eerie background synth with an organ stab completed with well timed scratches. Here Earmint has created a beat that is equally well produced as the other two on this 12" and would work well with any RJD2, Sharky and Blockhead beat (let's keep an eye on this guy).
And even the third track (which on far too many hip hop 12s is a poor excuse for a tune that wasnt good enough for a B side) is nice, produced by someone I wasnt aware of before, Earmint - one to watch me thinks...
And finally, there's "Against Me", produced by Earmint, and it's a third vibe on the third song. The beat futures a nice Hammond sound, with chops crashing in, while Diverse talks a little more on who is 'against him'. And as this song is also good, the 12" is a confirmation for why his album "One A.M." is so damn enjoyable.
After blindsiding the indy scene with the RJD2 produced "Explosive" and the subsequent One AM album, Diverse pulls off the rare indy feat with this strong sophomore single. In the lead position, "Jus Biz(1)" rocks a plenty melodic Prefuse production complete with Scott Herren background vocals. Flip features the Madlib Invasion "Beyond Beyond(2)," where Diverse does his version of intelligent fast rap a la early Pharoahe Monch. Chocolate's honcho Seven is always about value, so you also get the non-album track "Against Me(3)," highlighting the keen production skills from Earmint. Bravo. Includes instrumentals for "Jus Biz" and "Beyond, Beyond." Brent Rollins artwork! www.turntablelab.com
