Ironweed Project - Get on the Floor/All By Myself

  by Sarah Mwangi

published: 25 / 7 / 2007

Label: Fat Northerner
Format: CDS

intro

Unimaginative, crude and sexist new single from the egotistical Ironweed, only partially redeemed by its B side

I think it all went wrong when Ironweed aka Aniff Akinola introduced himself as "Superstar" in the opening of ‘Get On The Floor’. Surely a set up that high serves for a greater fall. Or maybe I’m taking this all too seriously. It’s a laid back track with slurred vocals that could suitably accompany a lazy Sunday. Well, that is until you throw a shoe at your stereo to make it stop. It has the disturbing qualities of an old man telling you about his past conquests, especially when he slows it down to rap about easy "Vicky" going to the "dirty South" - eurgh. I am not taking this too seriously; some things should just be left unsaid. Needless to say, I was happy to hear that the following song was of a different breed. At first listen, ‘All By Myself’ refreshingly sounds like Moby may have dabbled with it in his 'Play' era, where a dusty forgotten classic is revived into a modern dance track. Half way through that thought starts fading and in the second listen, that thought is actually laughable.. What lets this song down is that the work process as all too obvious. It has gone through an aging process, so that Kyla Brox’s very present vocals sounds like the songstresses that Moby uncovered. It starts with a static buzzing sound that gives the impression that the earthy vocals are coming from an old record playing in place time forgot. And as the song progresses, it is as if the people who came across that record added instruments of that era until Akinola found it and added his own touch to it. The song is sold more on its attempt rather than through its achievement. It is by far the better of the two but its explicit over-workings makes it sound like a poor imitation of ‘Natural Blues’. As a self proclaimed "hip-hop alchemist", Ironweed wants to change people’s perception of music and if these offerings are the standout tracks in his forthcoming album, then all we have to look forward to is old ideas and novelty songs

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