©Teresa Nasty
Welcome to the Hunt Club
January 31st, 2008
Direct from the shadowy underground of the post-analog radio apocalypse, two of Dallas' most unique and visionary artists have teamed up, and the outcome is something special.
Welcome to the Hunt Club.
The music can only be called hip-hop but is distinctly different. Think guerilla poetry over the soulful musings of a drummer with a stutter. The lyrics are rapped with intense emotion and Reflect June has been compared to everyone from Sage Francis and a “more easily understood Aesop Rock” to Fatlip from The Pharcyde and “a calmer version” of Lil Fame from M.O.P.
Semantic Noise has developed a signature sound by combining the organic and synthetic, dirty drums and unusual sequences. The resulting music is an interesting landscape where the soul meets the mechanical.
Reflect June was born in Hurst, TX and grew up in the small town of Luquillo, Puerto Rico. He gained his start as a freestyle lyricist while hosting many weeklies in Dallas with DJ S.O.U.L.Jah, attending shows, and guesting at open mic nights. His dense imagery and acrobatic usage of launguage make each song on the new album “Hunt Club” worth a listen. Reflect June has one mixtape and one full length album (produced by Rob Viktum) under his belt, “I’m excited about the new album Hunt Club,” he says, “I think people will be surprised and I know there is something in there for everybody, not only your every day hip-hop head.”
Semantic Noise may be the best kept secret in Dallas... with no official releases to date. In his short time on the map he has taken the hip-hop world of the city by storm. An intense inspired work ethic keeps Semantic in the lab most of the time but that hasn’t stopped him from competing in "The Beat Down" (the monthly hip-hop producer battle), and DJing clubs doing sound installations in galleries. He can often be found deep in the dollar bins at your local record store.
“Hunt Club” is 10 tracks including an intro and an instrumental intermission. All the lyrics on the album were written and rapped by Reflect June, and all music made by Semantic Noise.
It is set to be released on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2008, as a free digital download at www.LoneStarHipHop.com.
"There's something genuine about just putting the project out there for free" says Semantic. "It's like an introduction of sorts, for both of us."
'HUNT CLUB' SCORES DIRECT HIT
Originally appeared in QuickDFW on 5/9/08
"We get so much hip-hop that it's hard to cover it all in a timely fashion. So some quality good- good slips through the cracks now and then. We discovered such an item this past week with another listen to The Hunt Club from Reflect June and Semantic Noise (above), released in February.
This is music that would get branded as "underground," or "backpacker," or whatever label folks who feel compelled to label stuff are currently using. Team SS just thinks it's fresh.
It's not full of singles or catchy sing-alongs. It's full of original ideas and urgent creativity. It's also easily Reflect June's most accessible vocal effort since he's been on the scene.
He's a painter who has traveled the globe, and he filters his surroundings through an aesthetic lens. He describes what he does as "guerrilla poetry," and it's an apt title. But he's also refined his delivery and flow with great results.
As for Semantic Noise's production, he's on some futuristic boom-bap wow. The most obvious reference point might be Atlanta's Prefuse, but it certainly doesn't sound derivative. Finely chopped samples synthesize with unexpected rhythmic textures to evoke a soulfully blissful atmosphere. His tracks create mood, and RJ uses that mood to full effect.
In true indie spirit, they want you to have this for free. Download it at lonestar hiphop.com. It gets the Sure Shot seal of approval."
