I know I said yesterday that I would be just posting stuff from my inbox unlistened for the next week or so, but I lied. Not intentionally but because something interesting hit my inbox today that I wanted to listen to at work.

Its a self titled album by a NYC outfit called Vinyl Life, consisting of Bucha (Beats, Production & DJ), Phaze Future (Vocals) and Richie Roxx (Keyboards, Production)

I'm unsure as to why I wanted to make time to listen to this over everything else I've been sent lately but im bloody glad I did and wasn't put off by the fact that 95% of electro/hip-hop at the moment is shit. But if you ask me this isn't hip-hop but rap, and I like rap.

Straight from the off you can tell this is all done on analogue and the whole vibe is very much a rap version of oldschool R & S records I used to listen to with the use of hardware synths and 808/909 drum machines.

“Hot Sauce” opens the album and packed with Phaze Future’s cracking lyrics, vocodered choruses, P-Funk bassline and 4/4 beats.

“Hi-Tops” is where I first started thinking that this reminds me of the oldschool house and techno I used to listen to (it even has sirens) “Bass Go Boom” is more breaks with jagged beats and heavy synths with lyrics about Brillo Pads?, Weed? and Street Fighter??.

Next up is the ballad (I know, boooo!) “Electric Symphony (feat. Nite Club)” followed by “Innovation (Sebastian Marciano Remix).” which is a dance floor belter (yay!)

“Like This” is the album’s first single and a classic sing-a-long for the breakdancers. You can listen to this song and imagine kids spinning on their heads.

“Elevator Up” “Future Beat” and “Etch-A-Sketch” provide some more oldschool flavours, while “Good Life (It's More Fun To Compute)” is Vinyl Life’s ode to Kraftwerk and a pretty good cover.

Next up is their reworking of De La Soul's "Take It Off (feat. J-Zone, Ray West & Tru Pro)" I love De La Soul and have always thought their songs should be left 'As Is' but this has been done perfect.

And lastly, is a more raggae number with "Press Rewind" with the help of Uzimo, not my cup of tea especially but a good track non the less.

At the end of t' day this is a cracking little release where oldschool rap and analogue rave meet 2009, cheers

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Vinyl Life - Good Life (Its More Fun To Compute)

Album is out on:

Vinyl LP: August 4
Cassette: August 18
CD / Digital: September 15

www.vinyllife.com/
www.myspace.com/vinyllife
www.myspace.com/tapetheorymusic