Hella's star percussionist, who also helped Marnie Stern reach female icon
status, has been representing a third of Death Grips since their creation in
2010. Zach Hill's experimental hip-hop idea was nothing more of a conversation
in 2010, but now after three year of continued success, the trio of Hill,
Flatlander, and MC Ride have taken over the minds of the young electronic /
hip-hop fan base. Like Tyler, The Creator has done, Death Grips have engineered
a white middle class audience. There's no political imagery behind the music of
Death Grips, there's no 'fuck you' to other artists. They're quite simply an abrasive
electronic outfit.
It seems too corporate with Death Grips. They signed to a major record
label, and then released a spectacular album last year - The Money
Store. Death Grips promised fans two albums in 2012, so when EPIC Records
decided to hold back NO LOVE DEEP WEB for a 2013 release, the shit hit
the fan. Without consent, Death Grips leaked their sophomore album themselves.
It was a big 'fuck you' to EPIC Records, and a 'fuck you' that left Death Grips
without a record label. Though, why they signed to a major label in the first
place really goes against the fundamental principles of independent creative
freedom. They must have known EPIC wanted to dictate them, there are countless examples
of artists being relieved when they're out of contract, that should have persuaded Death
Grips. The curse of money, career, and
a future was too great for Hill and co to turn down - well it all backfired, or
was it all just one planned publicity stunt.
NO LOVE DEEP WEB was a let-down. It was without hype, but with a story.
The EPIC Records proceedings outweighed the musical content on NO LOVE DEEP
WEB. It wasn't worth the major label loss. They just wanted to keep a
promise, fair do's. Death Grips are in this special category of artists, I like
to call it the spoon fed group. It includes Radiohead, Death Grips, and Kanye
West. Basically, anything they release turns to gold. It could be a recording
of Kanye on the toilet, and it would be the greatest musical experiment,
of all time. Death Grips have a dedicated fan base that will swallow up
anything the trio has to offer, without questioning, without thought - this is
what I’m trying to convey.
"Birds" will be a potential suitor for Hill's upcoming feature
film project. Grips do have a third album prepared, with a label (subsidiary of
UMG) signed up to help them release it under their own label Third Worlds. This
track, much like NO LOVE DEEP WEB, sounds lost. What's really going on
behind closed doors in the Death Grips camp? The creative process is so vague.
They have cancelled tours in the past, and recently not showed up to planned
shows. Flatlander, who knows? Is he in jail? Or just a recluse. None of this is
helped by the bands constant Facebook propaganda and social media outbursts.
Nobody is questioning them. Fans take in statements as fact, everything Death
Grips have created, said, is taken as face value. "Birds" is the latest
track in a long line of repetitious abrasive electronic releases made by the
trio. It's without extensive synthesizer work, but far more leaniant on Hill's
percussion and MC Ride's confusing vocal. The lyrics, to a British citizen,
represent females - birds, as the lad culture call them. There's no real message
behind "Birds", just assumptions to what’s going on in MC Ride's
head. Amongst all the repetitious: "I Got, I Got," there's
some nice instrumental moments. A lovely guitar has been affected, sounding
like a singing bird, which is sweet in itself. Other than this,
"Bird" passes by without care. It's too slow, there's no power behind
the synthesizers. It is however, better than most of NO LOVE DEEP WEB.
Questions are raised when Death Grips release new music, only by me it seems.
Can they continue releasing mediocre abrasive electronic music to the masses
without care?
~Eddie
