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The Herbivores and Animanz' new single No Future bringing the latest dose of Dystopia-Hop!
RnB/Hip Hop | Friday 6th February 2015 | Osh
January has a reputation for being one of the longest, darkest, coldest months but thanks to The Herbivores & Animanz there was a light at the end of the tunnel. No Future, out February 1st, is the latest dose of beats, bars and bass conceived and delivered in London. Originally appearing as an instrumental on Animanz No Future 7” vinyl release alongside ‘Killa Housewife From Outta Space (the name alone is reason enough to check it out), the track’s meaning has been augmented with the addition of The Herbivores gritty, fast paced lyrics and varied rhyming style.
Forming whilst still at school the band went through many names, guises and motives before being unleashed on London and ‘set free’ as Animanz in 2013. Collaboration has since been at the centre of their creative concept and their monthly residency at Troy Bar, Hoxton, offers an open invite to musicians who want to get involved. Despite the patchwork nature of the band the sound has always remained the same: upbeat, provocative, conscious and psychedelic. Sounds like someone else I know…
The Herbivores formed in 2010. Their witty lyrics and authentic production, coupled with each member’s unique flow, make them an unstoppable force, steadily rising through the UK Hip Hop scene. Heavily influenced by Dub and Hip Hop, the triptastic trio (and producer Xwizit) are done tip-toing and are prepared to stomp out any resistance to their musical message, peacefully of course. After an incredible show in 2013 at Hootanany, Brixton, both groups knew they were on to something special and have since been working together, fusing intelligent, diverse lyrics with multi-layered, psychedelic instrumentals creating what has been described by some as ‘Hip-Funk-Afro-Latin-Hop’.
Clearly those listeners were on to something as Animanz coined the genre ‘Dystopia Hop’ to describe the track - No Future captivates the listener with its contagious beat and clear message. Lyrically The Herbivores employ a no-holds-barred approach, calling out the controversy and corruption that is all too familiar in daily life. With Alpha Roots’ aggressive vocal, the track explodes into a funky break that corrupts the mind and forces you to dance. Animanz bring the ruckus with a rootical horn line that carries the chorus forwards, emphasising the simple, yet powerful, lyrical message “there’s no future”. The juxtaposition of the cold aggressive vocals with the warm and funky, dubbed out instrumental perfectly fuels the dystopian vibe of the track and in all honesty just makes me want to dance.
Clearly The Herbivores and Animanz are a match made in London, be sure to watch this space for future releases and do not miss their upcoming live show at the London Remixed festival on 7th February.
