[AlbumOTD] Scroobius Pip - DISTRACTION PIECES

Artist: Scroobius Pip

Genre: A'cappella/Hip Hop
Location: Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. UK.
Label Type: Indie
Record Label: Speech Development/Strange Famous 

Website: http://scroobiuspip.co.uk/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Scroobiuspipyo

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scroobiuspip

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/scroobiuspip

Today is the day that the wonderful Scroobius Pip begins his assault on the UK album chart with the release of ‘Distraction Pieces’. Though he has been releasing albums with fellow accomplice dan le sac, this is his first solo album since debut release ‘No Commercial Breaks’ in 2006. Yes, this album misses le sac’s beats and his ability to make the tracks that little bit more catchy, but I guess that’s what the collaboration is there for. This individual album however, has a different agenda with no real concern for traditional song structure. Scroob offers spoken-word, social and political commentary as an alternative to straight-up rap in the hip-hop scene.

The 9-track offering is short and sharp but still manages to incorporate a host of highly regarded individuals within the music industry. Take the introduction single, ‘Introdiction’, culminating a splendid mix of diction and a crafty beat, with Blink-182’s legendary Travis Barker stamping his mark on the track with some expert drumming.

Next up comes the stand-out track ‘Let em Come’ featuring P.O.S and long-time influence Sage Francis. This tune is somewhat influenced by Pip’s love in the football (soccer) world, Millwall FC. Firstly, the title is the same as the one associated with the football club. Secondly, the track includes the line ‘No one likes us but we don’t care’, a claim also chanted from the terraces at the Den (the Lion’s Den), where Millwall FC ply their trade. Furthermore, comparisons between the two also come from the inclusion in both Sage and P.O.S’s verses of the term 'lions'. This is a coincidence as it also the nickname for Millwall FC, however, Pip has admitted that this was not planned, and in fact was simply a canny coincidence.

The lyrical genius offers something different to anything or anyone else in the music industry today. The incomparable Pip looks at sentences in alternative angles to anyone else around. Though with too many examples to cite, I will simply just use the title of track three to demonstrate this: ‘Domestic Silence’. This is a dark, progressively heavy tune centred around loneliness. This is subsequently followed by a great portrayal of drums and guitars on the track ‘Try Dying’, produced by Worgie and Yila, who also have a major influence on the production of the album as a whole.

Another name-drop to include is Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, who has done a magnificent job of producing the track ‘Death Of The Journalist’. This song is a chronological portrayal of the demise of journalism beginning with a description of the 1930’s outlook in which they reported exactly how it is, not exaggerating news that isn’t there, just for the sake of it. This continues right the way through to his frank and honest rant of the present day development of internet bloggers. Yes, that includes the likes of us.

One other person to makes an appearance on the album is close friend, B Dolan. He performs on the track ‘Soulja Boy (kill em)’ with his fast rapping, complementing Pip’s wonderful exhibition of political poetry, and the title a piss-take of US rapper Soulja Boy. This is followed by ‘The Struggle’ which certainly a grower, and is rumoured to be the next track for which a video will be shot.

But the man with two watches knows the time to drop the heartfelt tracks, as ‘Broken Promise’ and the cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Feel It’ finish off the album with Natasha Fox providing her own soulful delivery over that of Pip’s recital on the latter of the two. Whilst the former is based around the wonderfully reflective line ‘Is a lie really a lie, if you mean it at the time?’.

Distraction Pieces is produced by Renholder (AKA Danny Lohner) of Nine Inch Nails and is released today in the UK via Pip's very own Speech Development records, and in the US on Sage Francis’ Strange Famous records. To serve purely as a teaser, here are the characteristically innovative videos for 'Introdiciton' and ‘Let ‘Em Come’:

Matthew Evans