Handsome Couple - Handsome Couple [Umland Records 016]

Another one put on the circuit via Essen's Umland Records is the same-titled album by Handsome Couple which is the collaborational force of label head Simon Carmatta on drums and St. Kirchhoff on banjo. Whilst working on instrumental HipHop cuts for a theatre play in Bremen the pair of musicians started to develop their stage skits into real tracks, building a dope foundation for any rapper to jump on in terms of proper freestyles. With the exceptional "Afterhour" we see the Handsome Couple provide a super solid, slightly TexMex-infused organic banger for all fans of the classic BoomBap sound, "Noon" is a haunting uptempo anthem for the b-boys, b-girls and body lockers out there, "Goetheplatz" is more of a chill affair for those who can also relate to genres like TripHop / Downbeat and "Ein Paar" experiments with  Reggae / Dub-influences and characteristic off-beat vibes as well as bowed strings for a change. "WG" once again is an intense b-boy skit for all them breakers, seamlessly progressing into "Espresso", another captivating, dangerous uptempo cut incorporating elements of Dancehall, Moombahton as well as BigBeat, a perfect combination for a potential spy flic score at some point in the future. Following up is "Intercity", a great, complex and slightly Tarantino'esque excursion which will also be well appreciated by fans of Cypress Hill, "Ladidadi" harks back to the raw and very early days of HipHop rhythmwise and the "Easy Way Out" fully lives up to its title, weighing in an easy, laid back vibe for a sweet closure. Proper good stuff, this.