Album: Elf Tranzporter – Ethereal Lotus Fleet

advertisement

In a market oversaturated with uniformity, originality is very much a rarity. Caught somewhere between the likes of Sage Francis and Anti-Pop Consortium with a Dub/Dancehall sensibility, American-born Australian resident Elf Tranzporter occupies a unique niche all of his own. Contributing to the global Hip Hop scene for over a decade as part of several crews including MetaBass ‘n’ Breath (as a founding member) and most recently with Combat Wombat, the genre-bending MC now unleashes his solo debut, Ethereal Lotus Fleet.

From the onset a unique musical atmosphere is established with the eerie electronics of Eternal Life Force, as Elf states “this is a mothership, ‘bout to discover it/pursuin’, renewin’ my union with the mothership.” Tranzporter comes off as a time tested, world weary poet with his ominous lyrics and authoritarian-like delivery. This approach fits in perfectly on the spoken word poetry stylings of Think Tent, focusing his venom on George W. Bush, the war in Iraq and capitalism. The track may be a little odd and confronting for some listeners though.

For pure Hip Hop flavor look no further than the excellent Keep On Moving. You can also hear the turntable wizardry of DJ Wasabi throughout the course of Ethereal Lotus Fleet, particularly on the interlude Elf Land.

The most entertaining and intriguing musical excursions of the album occur when Elf teams up with Dancehall/Dub master Mista Savona. Blessed Up finds Elf Tranzporter and talented female vocalist Vida Sunshyne work to fine effect over Savona’s bouncy keyboard-driven production. Meanwhile, Elf picks up where he left off on the politically fuelled I Awoke. However, it is on the album highlight Path Stretch where things get really interesting, as Tranzporter’s love of Dancehall/Dub truly manifests itself.

Ethereal Lotus Fleet covers a wide span of subject matter and musical styles, most importantly overall it is provocative and daring. Elf Tranzporter creates music that is not easily digestible and not designed for cruising in your car; it is thinking person’s music. While you may have to be in a certain mood to enjoy this release, depending on individual musical tastes, it is certainly a head trip worth taking.

Available Through Method Recordings/Shock Records