So today we have a multi-state adventure. We are going to be checking out Philly and Miami. E. Grizzly is the lead vocalist for punk band Felipe Pupo based in Philadelphia. Marko Level is the producer and lead singer for Miami band Alukard. They joined forces to come up with the concept hip hop bass project ‘Online Counter Psyops’. The new duo has played hundreds of shows throughout Philly, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.
Online Counter Psyops
The duo also teamed up with A-HA Network to produce this new EP. The two artists are known for experimenting with various genres and have done so on this project with genres such as hip hop, trap, EDM and bass. They expressed that the concept of this project is to share an alternative to the cliche ideas of society. You can listen to the project here.
So let’s get into a track by track breakdown:
- Brimming: The beat and piano are very well put together. The delivery however sounds a little shaky. It doesn’t sound completely clean but that may be due to the static sound effect we hear throughout the song.
- A Beautiful Funeral: I like the lyrical content in this song. The beat is very funky and futuristic. It is a slower song that has a chill vibe.
- Tourists Don’t Know Where They’ve Been, Travelers Don’t Know Where They’re Going: It sounds like there is a conversation happening in the beginning of the song but I couldn’t understand it very much. The rest of the song is very interesting with unique sounds ion the beat and an interesting topic.
- I Want To be The Reason You Look Down At Your Phone And Smile, And Then Walk Into A Pole: The video is only a snippet but it’s an interesting promo video for the project. Th song title is a bit on the long side with an entire quote but it nice sentiment nonetheless. This song gives me major Kid Cudi vibes. I like this song the most off the project thus far.
5. Sometimes Serendipity Is Just Intention Unmasked: This song is just a bit odd at first. It felt a little structure-less but gave me old hip hop vibes. I think the subject matter is great but the delivery wasn’t all the way there. You could tell that at moments the lyrics were not on beat.
6. I have a Bad Feeling About Your Good Intentions: This is the longest track off of the project. The song is slowed down and is easy to vibe to. It also has a nice message lyrically. It is a feel good song.
7. Sunday Live: The song is obviously a live rendition so it’s not going to have the production value as an in studio song. The acoustic version is beautiful. The song is about everyday being Sunday and just taking it easy. Even with this being the acoustic version I enjoyed the song and is probably my second favorite song off of the project. It was a nice ending to the project.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was an interesting project to listen to. I would say that my biggest issue was that there didn’t seem to be an adequate amount of mixing and mastering done. There were also a few instances where the delivery was slightly off. This duo definitely has a sound all their own. They use various elements of music to come up with a distinct sound.
The duo provided a quote on the project. This is what they had to say:
“I wrote this project like I was talking to my younger self.” says E. Grizzly. “I didn’t really have a mentor or a dad to help me out through life so I had to learn everything myself. And I realized most of us never had an instruction book on life so these are things I’ve learned. Things I would’ve told my younger self to make life easier. That’s why the concept of this EP involves alot of futurism, philosophy and psychology.”
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