Austin Artist Spotlight
Exclusive EP Review: HADES - Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
The title of this EP already sets the pace for what the record feels like - an unpredictable adventure into the world of HADES. It’s part electronic music, part hip-hop with smart sampling. There’s no telling what HADES will say or sing. Traditionally a rapper, this short and sweet EP sees him shedding a lot of his rap past while he sings more.
Even on the second track, “Hourglass,” his vocals are all spoken and technically rap - but they don’t have the feel of traditional rap verses. The music is frenzied, tom heavy on the drums and syncopated as he raps “I’m not a bad guy, I’m a very bad boy.” It’s hard to characterize HADES’ production - he explores electronic manipulations of boom bap and sets the background for serious lyrics that are sometimes ridiculous enough to be comical. In “Unarmed,” he sings about “small hands, small wrists” - a hilarious allusion to a man with big ego problems - whether he’s entirely referring to himself is uncertain. Of course, it brings to mind Donald Trump’s issue with being told he has small hands. The song is a great example of HADES’ hard-to-classify sound - it’s just enough bass, drums, and sampling to feel hip-hop, but the vocals and electronic influences sound a little like a mix of Nine Inch Nails and The Black Keys.
There is a dark electronic mood throughout the record. HADES’ production skills are phenomenal and this record really shows off his range of genre-bending beats, synths, samples, and melodies. The haunting effects of his singing vocals complement the dark mood of the music. In the middle of “Hate/Love,” he combines a militant drum snare with goth synths and his haunting vocals, singing, “I can’t blame you, still I maim you, I’m sure/I can’t tame you, but I’ll train you, I’m sure…waiting for the incident, I’m yours/I’ll be waiting by the accident, of course/she says, baby it’s you.” It’s one of the more menacing, striking moments of the EP.
The lone true rap track is a feature by collaborator and Suicide Notes member L.R.O.Y. It’s good to hear him drop bars. His rhymes are quirky and entertaining; L.R.O.Y. raps in an aggressive ‘90s style. Let’s hope these two work on many more projects in the future.
It’s hard to define one single high point of the record. It’s short enough to give a glimpse into HADES’ evolving vocal styles and production tastes. From the opening sounds of “Deviant,” HADES sends us to a world of house/psychedelic/goth electronic sounds mixed with hip-hop beats. His singing is a bit bluesy, which mixes well with the dark and spastic lyrical content. Is this the direction that future HADES releases are heading for? Let’s hope so.