Somewhat of a passing oddity, or preserving their place at the forefront of a growing Scottish hip-hop scene? Whatever the outcome, Stanley Odd are making their way back into the public conscience with a succession of EP releases.
From the supposed scarring of gunshot wounds to bandana wearing, baggy-trousered loudmouths, it is a great relief to see that Scottish hip-hoppers Stanley Odd certainly don’t take their image influence from America. Apart from putting a comedic wedge in between us, it would be somewhat awkward to sit with someone sporting a tartan bandana like an everyday item of clothing. Their image is starkly contrasting to their genre. Casually clothed in t-shirt and jeans (that fit), their meek appearance is deceiving. The pair, Dave Hook, who performs under the moniker Solareye, and guitarist Rune Lilledal Hansen, aka Scruff Lee, are unassuming in appearance and almost fade into their surroundings. They could easily be mistaken for a couple of students as they timidly take their place at the front of the press conference – ready to field a barrage of questions.
Having sprung from a supposedly non-existent subculture within Scotland, Stanley Odd have something greatly different to offer from the generic sounding onslaught of alt. sounding Biffy wannabees.
The six-piece ensemble, each member hailing from a different part of the world, have put aside their border differences to form an inspiring and credible hip-hop act at the forefront of the small but evident Scottish hip-hop scene.
In 2010, the band released their debut album Oddio which offered a glimpse into the Solareye’s treadmilling thoughts, and was the first time that he had collaborated vocally with another artist, Veronica Electronica. Now the band is back releasing a series of EPs over the course of the year. Pure Antihero Material, the first in the catalogue, was released in February and propelled the band to the forefront of the Scottish scene. Venting about social issues and observations the EP collection is not far removed from the first album. However, in terms of overall sound production the progression is evident. Solareye himself readily admits that in retrospect, Stanley Odd’s first album was not all that they had hoped it would be and the ideas they had in the studio did not transcend as well onto the physical release.
“We released the first album in May, 2010, and toured with that for a year,” states the frontman. “This year, though, we decided to put out a series of EPs because we weren’t particularly happy with the sound of the album. Approaching the recording process in this way has given us more time to develop. Part of the process, this time, has been regularly updating our sound and crafting our studio techniques with the view to having an album out next March.”
However, this did not put off critics who offered up amorous praise of the debut offering. The Skinny have commented that “in a sane world, Stanley Odd would be way more popular than Snow Patrol”. While that may be an overstatement, it certainly helped in giving Scottish hip-hop a credible image. is this music? said of the Oddio: “Those who sneer at the idea of a Scottish hip-hop act as being an oxymoron, the joke’s on them, because this is a genuinely fresh and exciting album.”
The latest release in the EP collection, titled The Day I Went Deaf, is being released through independent label Circular Records, and is available to pre-order now. Lyrically, the there is no chance in pace – the 100-thoughts-per-minute, all cleverly interwoven, still offers a poignant social commentary and songstress Veronica Electronica provides a soothing vocal allowing Solareye to catch a breath. However, the satirical lyrics and joviality which was played out on the first release is less obvious. Rather than poke fun at subject matters, Solareye offers a more embittered political view on some of his targets. The darker tone underpins much of the album, and affirms that this hip hop band are more than just a follow up to Hale and Pace’s Scottish Rap.
“There is definitely a congruity through each offering,” confirms Solareye. “Sonically though, you can hear the evolution from one to the next. The darker sound is where we’re headed, and where we wanted to be in the first place. The recorded stuff never had the impact the live performance has.”
Unsurprisingly, the biggest barrier when listening to the records is overcoming the regional dialect – though it is nothing the band won’t have heard before. On one hand it startles and assaults the eardrums and ashamedly makes me cringe. On the other hand, the colloquialisms are comfort in relating to the treatment of Solareye’s hapless targets.
Live the band excels, what is missing on the record is overcompensated for in the live delivery. For a band in its relative infancy they are bold, if somewhat unassuming. Lyrically and sonically the band are ahead of the curve and are paving the way for other hip-hop inspired artists and bands throughout the country, and no doubt beyond.
Make no mistakes about it, hearing an angry, pasty, 30-something-year-old Scottish lad venting rap-style about anything, can only be described as humorously peculiar. This is not to take a cheap jibe at the six-piece. Ten years ago the thought of the London hip-hop scene parading its way to the forefront of new music in the UK was merely a small glint in a young Dizzee Rascal’s eye. And imagining London rap going global or topping charts was simply not recognised.
‘The Day I Went Deaf’, released on Circular Records, is available to buy now.
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