AmpLive
March Murder Sampler 2009
http://www.myspace.com/amplive
Despite following the typical fashion of reviewing a local or Texas band, I received this cool four track CD sampler at a free SXSW party that the artist AmpLive was playing at. Impressed not only by his modesty and down to earth nature, I noticed that everyone in the room was dancing to his cool mashups and mix-ups. Better known for his Hip Hop project Zion I, the Bay Area DJ and producer has collaborated with Del the Funky Homosapian and remixed tracks by Radiohead and MGMT. The first track titled, “Gary is a Robot,” begins with 8-bit Nintendo beats accompanied by a robot voice declaring that “Gary is a Robot,” who’s got it all in the aspect of money, cars, girls, cloths, looks, and luck. The violin instrumentation at the end of the track sounds hauntingly like the theme of a Final Fantasy videogame. “Get Served,” features clever raps amidst over redundant beats and slow lean tempo “get, get, get served,” lyrics. The song features all sorts of samples and sound effects, which seems to offer a fresh angle every time you hear the song. Saturated with bullhorns and gunshots, “Lose Ya Head,” the sampler’s third track, is an upbeat dance version of a Zion I and Too Short track Amplive used in his remix of Radiohead’s “Nude.” The concluding track, “It’s On,” features female rapper K. Flay-a less street Americanized version of European rapper Lady Sovereign.
While the CD art is bland and came in a clear plastic, the twenty minute sampler is a fun album for rushed pre-gaming activities.
