The Public’s weekly local music reviews and previews.

EP:    The Observer by Jacebeats  Recommended if you like:   ‘Zomby, Tokimonsta, Hudson Mohawke

Jacebeats steps out of his comfort zone with success on his latest electronic instrumental hip hop EP, The Observer.

The EP sets off with “Time is Passing” a sparkling downtempo hip hop with the occasional synth stab. It continues on with  “Capsule Corp,” which approaches EDM with trap style hi hats and big synth sounds dominating the mix—almost akin to something you’d hear on a Zomby record. “10 Thou” finishes up somewhere in between—a more minimalist track that relies on meticulously crafted synth shapes. 

video:    “Regrets n Cigarettes” by Short Moscato  Recommended if you like:   Illa J, Sage Francis, Slug

The new single, “Regrets n Cigarettes,” from Buffalo based hip hop artist Short Moscato comes from his album The Colour of Air and features a trippy, nostalgic video directed by Denzel Williams.  Over laid, inverted images of freeways, pill bottles, cigarettes, and a dancer interlace with shots of the artist rapping. A fairly minimalist track, the beat takes a back seat to a meloncholic melody and Mosato’s monotonic, lyrical, and earnest delivery.