Despite being a long time fan of hip hop I only recently found out about Hector Bizerk. Poor on my part because as well as being from Glasgow, they are also brilliant. Actually I have to give Ech(((o)))es and Dust editor of all things heavy Sander credit for pointing me in their direction. Now I've caught up, it's an exciting time for Hector Bizerk. They recently released their second album Nobody Seen Nothing , won a Scottish Alternative Music Award (SAMA) and have announced shows in the birthplace of hip hop, New York.
If that wasn't enough, drummer Audrey Tait has made the finals of Hit Like A Girl, which is a worldwide competition highlighting female drummers. Hector Bizerk consists of Audrey and MC, Louie C.K., complemented by Fraser Sneddon (Bass) and Jennifer Muir (synths, percussion). Audrey could rival most drummers regardless of gender or genre. Providing the kind of organic thumping rhythms and subtle dexterity Questlove would be proud of. A large part of the appeal of Hector Bizerk is the live band set up, rather than being reliant on production techniques only. It adds to the diversity of sounds on Nobody Seen Nothing, at times shifting to dub and ska influenced sounds.
Regional accents in hip hop have a tendency to put some wider audiences off. From the outside hip hop is perceived to need to have a brash American accent or Southern State drawl. Bollocks if you ask me, if someone has the ability and a good flow it doesn't matter if they're from Brookyln, Bristol or Belfast. In fact, anything apart from using your native dialect is fake and frankly ridiculous. Louie, has both a thick Glaswegian accent and plenty of flows to dispel the myth further.
The lyrical themes are socially conscious, without getting to the point of preaching. 'Orchestrate' opens the album with a Clash influenced dub swagger. With clever lyrics and metaphors comparing life struggles with composition of music, it's clear right away Hector Bizerk are stand outs.
The production fully utilises the pounding ability of Audrey. At times stripped back to drums and rhymes with minimal scratches, the sound is infectious and raw. 'Fingerprints on the Drumkit' demonstrates that perfectly, a relentless show of organic power.
Throughout the album there is variation in styles, ensuring there's no feeling of repetition. 'Party at A&E' is a tale of a typical City centre night out ending in casualty. It's a familiar tale of a binge drinking culture and a welcome change from the glorification of violence and excesses that is often associated with hip hop. Putting genres to the side 'Waste Britain' is massive. Containing the kind of chorus that is affirming and unifying. In an ideal world it would be a regular on national daytime radio instead of the pish that often gets pumped out.
Louie and Audrey are complemented at times with the additional musicians all lending to the live feel. Their shows must be full of energy and it's easy imagining them appealing to more than just a hip hop crowd. 'Columbus' is another stand-out track with an infectious chorus and clever wordplay. Overall though the album packs enough punch and rarely dips in quality or finds the attention stray.
Nobody Seen Nothing is a big leap forward for Hector Bizerk. Having checked out their previous releases, it's more mature, assured and generally an album they should be proud of. Scottish music has always produced some phenomenal talent. Hector Bizerk deserve the recognition to ensure a documentary on a hoax act isn't the best known hip hop connection from Scotland.
Nobody Seen Nothing is available through Bandcamp and follow Hector Bizerk on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all activity.
