Album Review: Tourettes, Tiger Belly

By Scott Kara

6:30 AM Thursday Sep 29, 2011

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Artist Tanja Jade aka Misery and Dominic Hoey aka Tourettes. Photo / Supplied

While Auckland rapper and poet Tourettes (real name Dominic Hoey) is not so much of a smart aleck on fourth album Tiger Belly, he's just as clever, cutting, and hilarious.

Whether he's mouthing off about only having two emotions ("boredom and lust"), big upping himself on Everybody Loves Tourettes (and rightly so too), or at his deadpan best about not being a great swimmer ("I saw Jaws too young."), he is one of local music's top wordsmiths with a refreshing say-it-like-it-is roughness to him.

And with a vast and adventurous palette of music and beats (that could stand up as a record on its own) courtesy of Saan Barratt from country band the Vietnam War, this album is more than a worthy follow up to his eerie, often aggressive, and funny - albeit sadly under appreciated - 2009 offering Who Said You Can't Dance To Misery?.

There are rowdy party highlights like the pulsing dynamism of So Happy, the brutally frank Drug Problem (akin to a hip-hop honed psychedelic Pixies), and opener Tonight is a weird and wonderful mix of frenzied 60s pop, steely surf music, and shouty Beastie Boys back when they were more punk than hip-hop.

Stars: 4/5
Verdict: Less aggressive, more grown up, still funny

Buy Tiger Belly

Audio: Alphabethead - Flying Destar

Flying Destar

by alphabethead on 28/09/2011 in TRACKS

It’s Glitch + Scratching… DOWNLOAD HERE

Under the Radar Review Tiger Belly

Tourettes - Tiger Belly

Tiger Belly

Tourettes

Round Trip Mars
8 / 10

27th September 2011

By Scott Nicolson

Tourettes is one of New Zealands’ most exciting musical entities. Entity is an appropriate word considering the nature in which he ‘gets around’ the musical landscape. From Punk band beginnings, to Fifth Floor in Wellington, to Hip Hop as part of the Breakin Wreckwordz collective, to spoken word performances in recent years, and guest appearances on other artists’ tracks for the best part of a decade – Dominic has certainly ticked some boxes.

Tourettes has also released an album every 2 years since 2005, ‘Tiger Belly’ is his first for the Round Trip Mars label. The first taster was the solid (and somewhat hilarious) ‘Inside My Head’. It has a real punk vibe with live guitars, bass and drums. This no doubt has to do with those involved with the making of this album. Tiger Belly’s album credits include Saan Barratt from The Vietnam War handling all the music and arrangements, and Karl Steven of Drab Doo Riffs’ tracking and producing all the vocals as well as mixing the album. The influence of these two on ‘Tiger Belly’ is obvious in regards to the backing track instrument choices and the overall feel of the album.

To my mind, Tourettes has always been from the dark side of the force, and this album is no exception with the subject matter. Bordering on bleek at times, - ‘Caspa And Alice’ – a sad tale of love, confusion and loss, to the downbeat vocal with a sublime looping melody of stand-out track - ‘World War 3’ featuring Matthew Crawley on chorus vocal duties, to the slightly absurd but genius - ‘Everybody Loves Tourettes’. The latter features vocal snippets of network television news presenters discussing the merits (or otherwise) of Tourettes. That particular track epitomises the Tourettes ethos – equally self deprecating but shouting out those who detract.

Other points of interest are the Ryuichi Sakamoto nod on ‘Valentines For Vampires’, the regular input of group-like chorus chants on ‘Tonight’ and ‘Drug Problem’, waves rolling samples feature on ‘Sat At The Beach’ (and return again on ‘Caspa And Alice’). Spoken word references on ‘…Beach’ and ‘The Phones Ringing’ whilst ‘So Happy’ has the more Hip Hop production for a switch up early on.

Overall, Tourettes has made a very bold, and ultimately smart move bringing together a standout line-up of musicians and producers from different genres. Although the new album doesn’t his feature regular production partner Scratch 22, it does clearly show the man has exceptional dynamic diversity and versatility with his musical choices, and waxing lyrical - Tourettes is as sharp witted, topical, and informed as ever. Make no mistake, this is a Hip Hop record but ‘Tiger Belly’ is an album that is just as refreshing to the indie crowd.

Read more: http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/utr/review/CID/560/N/Tiger-Belly.utr#ixzz1ZDghrz9M

Live: Tourettes, Saan, Mathew Crawley

My Mother Says I’m Talented

28 September, 30 September, 1 October

With a new song on the radio and 20 dollars in the bank, poet and emcee Tourettes is on top of the world.
To celebrate he’s complied a set of his best spoken word poetry and bare-bones arrangements of songs from his latest album, Tigerbelly. Touerttes will be joined on stage by guitarist Saan Barrett of The Vietnam War fame and old golden-tonsils himself, Matthew Crawly.
My Mother Says I’m Talented: tales of love and loss, sex and drugs, sandwiches and masturbation.

Offensive language

• Location:

  The Basement, Lower Greys Avenue,
  Auckland CBD, 1010

• 
  

Video: Tourettes Rehersal

Tourettes-Tonight (Rehearsal) from Saan Barratt on Vimeo.

Video: Cancer - Drip

Drip, by Cancer. from Joel Birch on Vimeo.

Video: WOTW Wellington Footage

RECAP: World of the Weird from L E K R M O I on Vimeo.

Cheese On Tourettes

Tiger Belly by Tourettes

Posted by Cheese on Toast on September 6, 2011 in Reviews · 0 Comments

Tourettes returns with a new album – released, this time, on Round Trip Mars, and with all music written, arranged and produced by Saan Barratt (of The Vietnam War and Dirtbags). To me, and I honestly don’t know how Dom (Dominic Hoey is his other name) will take this, when / if he reads this, Tourettes is not so muchs a rapper or hip hop artist as he is he’s a folk musician and poet. At least, I mean, he’s not hip hop not as that term has come to mean in 2011. But, in fact, if you were to look at the original fundamentals of hip hop at it’s earliest incarnations – I think you could make a strong argument, based in those principles, that Tourettes is more hip hop than Kanye West and Jay Z combined.

Tourettes writes honestly and disarmingly; instead of posturing about being the baddest MF-er on the block, he’d rather explore the darker recesses of one’s psyche or admit that he can’t spell lettuce. (Dom suffers from dyslexia). Many of the songs here, on this record, to me at least, are poems more than they are raps – and this is accented by the musical accompaniment. Most obviously, the poem The Phone Is Ringing sits two thirds in and is my personal album favorite. In contrast to the short, succinctness of The Phone – with it’s minimal ringing soundtrack – clearly a spoken word poem – is Sat At The Beach – an opus-like poem punctuated with a dark distant guitar – calmly before a storm of screaming and squawling that’d I’d love to see re-enacted at any poetry recital to fuck shit seriously up. It’s intense.

The album opens with the prelude Tonight – a scene setter, a statement of intent, if you will. It rolls through your speakers with a sense of difficulty; with an awkwardness usually reserved for, well, for those of us who perhaps don’t fit in to things nicely. Tourettes assures us that just because he’s wasted, that doesn’t mean he’s wasting time. So Happy is sonically dark and ominous – with s tinned out synth that pulses over a low guitar fuzz.

Lead single Inside My Head sits centrally on the record; and it really is a perfect example of how smart and clever Tourettes songs are and how skilled an MC he truly is; his flow on these verses is genius-ly conversational; this is rapping so good that it’s unaffected to meet tempo, rhythm or meter – but it’s perfectly on point and beat. And his subject matter so eloquently expressed; smart and funny.

Caspa And Alice clocks in at nearly eight minutes and is a short story in rap form – poetry meets prose meets beats – and, oh my god, Caoimhe Macfefin (Heart Attack Alley, Drab Doo Riffs) sung chorus is like warm satin as it washes into the song only twice.

The unfamiliar listener might be a little surprised by the guest vocal and guitar on World War 3 – Matthew Crawley; but anyone who knows either man will know that they are mutually massive fans of each-others art. Matthew’s voice is wonderfully heartbreaking, warm and fragile.

Every time I listen to Tiger Belly I find a new favorite song – and every song becomes a new favorite at least two-or-three times; I get the sense that this shall continue as I fail to get tired of this record. I love you, Tourettes. (Now let’s all go have group sex). - review by Andrew Tidball

Video: Alphabethead Interview

Behind The Music: Wasted Youth – Louie Knuxx

A new segment for ayebro readers.. “Behind The Music” is all about bringing you inside information about your favorite releases and better yet its direct from the artist. First up with have Louie Knuxx with “Wasted Youth”. Enjoy.

Artist: Louie Knuxx

Album: Wasted Youth

Realease Date: 28/02/06

So it would have been around mid 05 when I unassumingly began work on the Wasted Youth album. I had written maybe 3 or 4 solo songs in my Kingsland home with no real aspiration or goal in sight. It would have been near the time BreakinWreck had lost a few of our bigger acts to other labels (namely PNC and David Dallas). I had these songs and Cyphanetik hit me up about doing a street album (it obviously later on became a retail LP when shock had a listen to it) which I of course was keen to have a crack at. At this point in my life I didn’t really have much clue about song writing, I hadn’t developed a particular sound and had no idea what I was capable of. Despite this I wasn’t really phased at the seemingly daunting task of writing a whole album, I think the fact Jared (Cyphanetik) had faith in me to do it made me believe in myself to the point where I never even questioned whether I was capable or not. In addition to these factors I didn’t feel any expectations or pressure to deliver which is really liberating as an artist (I don’t think I deserved to be referred to as an artist then but this was definitely apart of the progression that has made me one today). Progress on the album seemed to come together effortlessly, Dan Mawby was great throughout the recording process and my fiance and BreaknWreck people were all really supportive and encouraging.

1. Louie Knuxx vs Ghandi prod by 22
Originally I had written an extremely long verse on this beat to intro the album with, I think it was around 30 bars or something. We recorded it and it really wasn’t strong enough to open the album on so I decided to just talk some shit. In the room we were using as a booth there was a pile of VCR tapes within which I found the Ghandi biopic, the the lil blurb I read is from the back of that.

2. They Call Me prod by 22
I can’t for the life of me remember writing this song but I have a feeling it was near the end of the recording process, from listening to it I can tell I was trying to use this track to show a lil versatility with my vocal dexterity and flows and just talk some shit. I have a habit of writing some fairly witty lines completely by accident and there’s a couple in this song. At the end of the song it fades into my then fiance Astra singing the hook.

3. Fly prod by Exhile
My memory of writing this song is really vivid, mainly because the whole thing took about 15 minutes. One of the those examples of when everything goes right and shit just seems to happen by itself. I’d been recording some album shit with Dan and he gave me this beat, I rushed straight home and wrote the song. When I wrote it the vibe of the beat kinda reminded me of PNC’s “day in a life’ and I used an approach i know Sam (PNC) often used where you just make rhythms in your head with non nonsensical mumblings then fit the words in later. This song got a lot of radio spins and was even on the Air New Zealand in-flight radio program for some time. Was bummed we never shot a vid for this as I’m sure it would have really propelled the momentum of the whole project, FUCK NZ on air!

4. Drink Myself Sober prod by Te Ata
This beat got me gassed, sounded like some classic 50 shit, I wanted to fuck with a different flow on this and did. Tyree later told me he had wanted this beat.

5. Don’t Cry For Louie prod by 22
I had found the sample for this and given it to 22 and he came back with a very cool and different sounding beat, a very biographical song told in a light-hearted manner. I remember struggling with writing this as I didn’t want to come off too arrogant so i signed it off with lines like ‘prolly fucked more girls than you heard of…cunt’ hahah

6. We’re Back God Feat. PNC prod by Saia
Killer Saia beat for this one, a lot of people probably don’t remember but at this time PNC and I had a group called BlackHearts and plans to do a project which never eventuated. Sam smashed his verse on this and it was hard as fuck to hang with him on a beat that was definitely more suited to his style, he also wrote the hook. At the very end you can hear Dom barge in the booth and scream “TOURETTES”!! how apt.

7. NP Till We Die prod by Kase
This beat was weird as fuck to me at first, particularly to try achieve something anthemy on. I had asked Fact to jump on this to begin with but he hated the beat so I went at it alone. All true stories in this shit chronicling little bad bastards being little bad bastards. I’m led to believe this song still gets played a lot amongst NP kids

8. I Gets Gully prod by Saia
This I think is the first song written out of all the ones that ended up on the album, I had a real bad block when i wrote this and decided to just bang out some verses without thinking about them (hence how nonsensical this shit is). You hear my voice fuck out real bad towards the end of one of the verses but being the lazy prick I am it stayed in the final mix.

9. What I Do Feat. Con Psy prod by Exhile
I found this sample when we where really close to completing the album, Maia murdered it with that hook and I put a verse down. We got Dave in and obviously he killed it so I re-did my verse and still got smoked, still really like this song. My fiance and I were non-stop singing Maia’s parts on this round the house for a few weeks after it was recorded.

10. Broke As Fukk Feat. Dirt City & Astra prod by Des Davis
I’m really fond of this song, mainly because all the people who guested are dear to me. Sean (Fact) and I have known each other since we were kids and I’d known Neesh since he was a young buck. They both dropped killer verses and Astra sounded nice on the hook.

11. Uff That Ish Feat. Cyphanetik prod by Lues Fondue
This beat was wild to me when I got my hands on it, it was angry sounding and the lyrics followed accordingly. Jared smashed this, I guess people wouldn’t really know but he’s like my rap dad and Dom (Tourettes) is my rap mom, they nurtured and encouraged me into this shit, was pretty proud to get on a song with pops and tell everyone to get fucked together.

12. That’s Good Feeling Feat. Usual Suspects prod by Saia
This was first done over a beat by Saia’s brother Rez but he had lost the files for it so Saia re-made it. Wanted to do some good vibes shit with suspects and I think we all found some middle ground on this. Love the sing-songy shit Saia did in his verse. Once again that is Astra adding some vox on the hook.

13. I See The Good In You Feat. Maia Rata prod by Exhile
I dont rate this song very much sonically speaking (although Maia’s hook is beautiful) but the words are meaningful and heartfelt. Shit is pretty much just a rhyming letter to a few people I love who were or had been experiencing hardships. This song makes my little sister cry which I guess what I was trying to convey should achieve, trying to put that overwhelming feeling of love you feel for the people closest to you into words in a song is some difficult shit but I guess when it is genuine those people it is meant to touch can feel it. This song was only there for them.

14. Wasted Youth prod by Exhile
This song was also done first time around over a different beat. This song is just straight up and down for poor kids and ones who experienced similar shit to what I did, I was no where near as socially aware then as I am now but i definitely knew the world isn’t a fair place for a lot of people. My loyalty and heart always has and always will lay with those people.:

15. Keep Steppin (Spoken Word)
I fucking hate this shit, don’t even post it! not sure what I was trying to achieve here but the delivery is awful! If anyone tries to play this at my funeral I hope you fall in the grave with me!

16. Lose Ya Body Feat. Tourettes prod by Lerch
Dom likes drugs, I like drugs, Lerch makes crazy beats. Dom slid a nasty line the way of Fast Crew on this. Around that time Fast Crew’s management had called Jared threatening to put a retraining order on me because they thought I wanted to beat them up. Another tidbit for this song, I think if you follow a current NZ group who I wont name you’ll find they have re-arranged a phrase from my hook on this for a hook on their song, I see you!

17. Melancholy Feat. Maia Rata prod by Saia (it was credited incorrectly on the album to Exile)
This was the very last song written and recorded for the album and probably my favorite. This was pretty much just me pouring out everything on a song, acknowledging it all and letting go of it and probably my first experience of writing in a therapeutic fashion (which I do a lot more now). I love this beat so much and Maia once again really enhanced the song with his vocals, originally I had sung those parts he did but it sounded shit.

18. Comedy Hour (Skit)
Not really very funny at all hahaa

—

In hindsight I often refer to Wasted Youth as a fluke or lucky, It was like an unplanned pregnancy that came out kind of beautiful, my new LP has been laborious in comparison but rewarding in different ways. The response the album received was amazing, great reviews, respect from my peers and a family that was enormously proud of me. I think one of the happiest moments in my life was arriving at my release party and seeing the huge crowd of people outside there to celebrate with me (much thanks to D-Form). I very rarely listen to anything off the album but when someone else puts it on the proud and happy feeling that was abundant in that time of my life resurfaces and that’s an amazing thing, it’s like a time capsule in audio form that brings back a lot of fond memories. I’m eternally grateful to Jared, Dan, Dom and all the guests and producers that contributed to the album.

—

Check out part one here and then buy the album here. More “Behind The Music” coming soon..

Source: ayebro.co.nz

World Of The Weird Tour Review

Alphabethead's Wonderful World of the Weird @ Medusa, Wellington - 3 September 2011

04 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000

When I walked into Medusa last night for Alphabethead’s Wonderful World of the Weird tour to find Hamilton’s DJ Indecline mixing and scratching hip hop and punk records, I knew the night was going to be an interesting one.

The colourful circus-like backdrop behind him, and flags hanging around the walls, only added to the atmosphere.

Around 11pm Wellington’s the Shocking and Stunning took to the stage. These guys might like they should be playing hippie folk music but what they churn out is a sort of electronic space funk; all synthesizers, huge drum beats and weird noises. Last time I saw them play they were performing as a two piece but last night they were joined by a bassist and vocalist/odd noise maker, which added another dimension to their sound.

They always manage to get the crowd dancing, and last night was no exception. It’s no surprise; their music just makes you want to move, particularly when the drums get stuck into some funky rhythms.

Shortly after midnight, ringmaster Alphabethead asked for quiet from the crowd and announced to the waiting masses that he was to help us answer three questions: who are we? What are we here for? And, what lies in store for us?

Without further delay he stepped behind his turntables and proceeded to blow our minds with his blend of hip hop, funk and jungle, proving once again that he is without peer in turntablism within New Zealand.

After announcing, through the use of cleverly placed signs within album covers, that he was not alone, he rang a small bell and summoned Auckland MC Tourettes to the stage. After walking out through the colourful backdrop dressed in a bunny costume Tourettes delivered a couple of tracks in his humourous, rapid fire style, covering his usual topics of poverty and general “down and outness”.

He then brought out Christchurch’s Jay Roacher, enquiring about his wellbeing before launching into Jay’s latest single Cheer Up Jay. The two MCs worked well on stage together, interacting throughout their performance, while Alphabethead didn’t stop moving the entire time, racing out from behind his turntables to jump around behind the MCs, getting back just in time to get the next song going.

It was a fantastic night, full of surprises and outstanding performances from everyone. The crowd lapped up every minute of it and didn’t seem to want it to ever end.

source: music. net.nz