New Music Tuesday: Ol' Burger Beats & Vuyo; King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard

A hip-hop duo from Norway gives us the Record of the Month, and the Aussie psych-rockers return to the studio

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Ol’ Burger Beats & Vuyo - Dialogue.

My early favorite hip hop album for 2021 didn’t come from Atlanta, Los Angeles, or New York, but Oslo.

Beatmaker Ol’ Burger Beats has teamed up with rapper, Vuyo for the debut, Dialogue., a fluid lo-fi journey through crates of jazz records and pop culture references.

Ole-Birger, aka Ol’ Burger Beats, has been releasing tracks since 2014 and has become a master at the Dilla-esque jazz and classic soul beats. He’s released multiple solo albums, whether instrumental-focused or featuring guest spots from some of underground rap’s best talents, including Quelle Chris (whose album Innocent Country 2 was one of my top records from last year).

Ole Vuyo, a South African rapper based in Norway, turns out to be the best pairing for Ol’ Burger Beats. With the two Ole’s forming “Ole Times Two,” Vuyo’s loose-jawed, conversational flow not only fits the project’s aesthetic but pushes for education and conversation about the fragile times we live in.

Vuyo’s father was dedicated to South Africa's liberation, and Vuyo’s pursuit in music left them with a tense relationship. Throughout the record, there are voicemail interludes from Vuyo’s sister Lunga Ntila (who also did all of the record’s artwork and design), speaking to this. These were inspirations to Vuyo, who, after his father had accepted his children’s life paths, wants everyone to be open and push the conversation during these polarizing times.

On the record’s best moment, “Summer of George,” Vuyo strikes out at the corporatization of race identity and politics. The juxtaposition of discussing everything that has happened following the murder of George Floyd while working in clips of Jason Alexander self-declaring his “Summer of George” is absolutely brilliant. We can be down with the cause, but there is still the underlying prerogative of spending your summer reading a book and playing frisbee golf. Vuyo declares, “I'm only left hoping that we learn from what I call ‘The Summer Of George’.”

Other favorites include “Dusty Grooves” and “88 Keys” but the entire record is vital as Vuyo works through his journey of self-growth with Ol’ Burger Beats placing fitting horn samples throughout.

The beats are mellow, and the flow is conversational, leading to an easily digestible but essential work. This hip-hop record from Norway’s approach to race and pop culture is just as pertinent as anything released recently in the States and is my favorite release for February.

Rating: ✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️/5

Dialogue. is available on Jakarta Records.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - L.W.

I have an on and off-again relationship with The Gizz, and after their newest L.W., it’s on-again, and I’m in love, baby.

Having released 17 albums studio albums in 9 years, it would be an understatement to call the Australian psych-rockers “prolific.” King Gizzard isn’t afraid to explore any genre, and if their latest release isn’t for you, there’s a good chance the next will be.

L.W. is the sequel to last year’s K.G. and also better. The album is a further exploration of quarter-tone tuning, which fights the senses of the Western music listener’s ear. It figures that I am so into this album as it is a continuation of the project they started with 2017’s Flying Microtonal Banana, the last Gizz album I was really into.

Highlights include “O.N.E.,” which takes full advantage of the band’s love for multiple percussionists, and I’d love to see the Santa Monica drum circle get in on this action sometime. Nothing is better than a fantastic b-side to a record, and L.W. is up to the task with the desert-esque “Static Electricity,” borderline pop chorus of “Ataraxia,” and the culmination of the project; with the metal riffing of “K.G.L.W.”.

This last year of not going to shows has given me plenty of time to think about all the bands I’ve missed over the previous few years, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard will be towards the top of my list when this hellscape is over.

Rating: ✌️✌️✌️✌️/5

L.W. is available on Flightless.