VERTUAL VERTIGO

Zum ersten Mal gehört von Vertual Vertigo habe ich 2005, als ihre “Back To Tha Pod” EP erschien. Nicht nur der Bandname hatte einen geilen Klang – jeder einzelne der sechs Tracks lief verdammt gut rein und stimulierte meinen Ohrkanal. Abgefahren und abstrakt waren sie, so mag ich das. “Back To Tha Pod” hatte genau diesen Sound. Grund genug also, Euch die Gruppe heute etwas näher vorzustellen.
Vertual Vertigo besteht aus den beiden Rappern Ezekiel38 und Cerebral Vortex, die sich Anfang dieses Jahrtausends in Nürnberg über den Weg liefen. An den Tellern werden die beiden von DJ Japandrew unterstützt. Zuletzt haben sie zusammen mit dem österreichischen Produzenten Mono : Massive die “Drink Tickets EP” veröffentlicht.
Inwieweit sich ihr Sound über die letzten zehn Jahren verändert hat, erfahrt ihr im folgenden Interview mit Ezekiel38. Dazu gibt es ein paar Videos der Jungs und die EP-Releases “Back To Tha Pod”, “Good Will Hunting” und das neueste Werk “Drink Tickets” als Stream. Enjoy! - wild style magazine

Mono:massive (producer from Innsbruck, Austria) has joined forces with Vertual Vertigo known for their work with Robot Koch, Kissey Asplund and others. After five years of collaborations and sending material across the pond from Chicago to Innsbruck, Mono has put together a great concept EP – an ode if you will of drinking booze! Make sure you grab a copy on vinyl as this exclusive collaboration is limited to 300 copies!
- word is bond (austria)

When it comes to the local hip-hop scene, it's safe to say that there is no one definitive style that embodies Chicago. Instead what we have is a diverse selection of tastes that span from one neighborhood to the next, and at any given moment you can hop on the L and sample a different flavor.

In the case of Vertual Vertigo, Ezekiel38 and Cerebral Vortex pull from many different influences, both locally and abroad, and capture a style of hip-hop that blends the nostalgia of the golden era with the progressive sounds of the underground. In the eight-plus years they've been performing they’ve released three EPs and two full lengths all of which have maintained a very entertaining tongue-in-cheek style of play. Centerstage caught up with the two to get a more thorough introduction to the budding artists.

You guys met in Germany. What brought you there?
Ezekiel38: yeah we met in the Nuremberg area in like 2000. I was in the military stationed over there, and Vortex was doing some school stuff. It's really coincidental that we met, and it turned out to be the best friendship and musical collaboration that I've ever experienced!

What's your take on the hip-hop scene there?
E: It's dope! There's a lot of things over there that are somewhat extinct over here. The graffiti scene is nuts! The government seems to be less concerned with buffing and locking cats up for graf, they seem to be more level-headed and committed as fans over there too. I mean every time we go back we see our fans growing with us. Not that that doesn't happen in the states or Canada too, but it just feels like we belong there a bit more. Maybe it's because we started Vert over there? Who knows?

Cerebral Vortex: Lots of hunger and dedication. The kids are really eager and righteously studying the science of hip-hop.

Tell me a bit about how you first got interested in hip-hop.
E: I was sitting on a bus, going on a field trip from a summer camp that I was in, when I was six or seven. I guess we had the cool bus driver because he was letting kids play tapes on the bus stereo. This one kid busts on LL Cool J's "Bigger and Deffer" and as soon as I heard that beat and LL like "I take a muscle-bound man and put his face in the sand..." It was over for me, I fell in love that very second. Stayed tuned in ever since.

CV: My uncle was the first rap artist to sign with the punk rock imprint Alternative Tentacles in the early '90s. Just being around that type of environment as a kid made me want to play a hands-on part in the budding culture. It was interesting to me how all of these equations formulated into one.

Who are some of your influences, both inside and outside the genre?
E: Inside, I mean there's the obvious ones that you can't help but be influenced by - Mos, De La, Tribe, Common, Nas, J etc-but then a few of my personal influences are Boogie Monsters, 3rd Bass, and Slum Village. Outside — I have always drawn inspiration off of Edith Piaf, Shirley Bassey, John Lennon and Dylan, and actually quite a bit of punk rock from the '90s. I'm a huge NOFX fan!

CV: Eric B and Rakim, Bjork, Cyndi Lauper, Kwame, Prince, Fast Eddie, 3 Times Dope, Portishead, De La Soul, ATQ, Outkast, Gant Man, Kilo Ali, Boogie Monsters, Digable Planets, TV on the Radio, Biz Markie, Pete rock and C.L. Smooth, Zelda, Tracy Chapman and A Gun Called Tension.

You mention a lot of members (of Vertual Vertigo) who have come and gone. What's kept the core together?
E: Yeah, I mean when we started it was just me and Vortex, back then Cea3 and Medisin, but we had a bunch of different cats join the group for a little while and then leave. I think when it comes down to the Vert, it comes down to the brotherhood that me and Vortex have. It makes a big difference on the road, it can get ugly, and after 2 or 3 weeks touring in a cooped-up minivan, true colors come out of cats. DJ Japandrew is here to stay though! I would do anything for that dude!

CV: What's kept the core together has been essentially the foundation. We're brothers by cause, binded by a mutual love for what was, is and will be.

What's your take on Chicago's current hip-hop scene?
E: I think the scene in Chicago is always changing, constantly. When I first moved here, it was way underground, and we used to go to jams at ITC, shouts to PYRO, PUKE, WYSE and PEPS, ALL AIR CREW, or Tuesday nights at Sub-T when Bucktown was buck. But now, it's finally all the way out of its shell. It's nice to be able to go to shows and not worry about cops or gangs, or BS nowadays. I think it took the city's most relentless heads to build the scene to what it is today, and now everyone can enjoy it! Big ups!

CV: One thing about Chicago's hip-hop scene is that it's deeply rooted, very passionate and soul driven. And on any given day or night you can be walking down the street and come across your fave artist or DJ, past or present and acknowledgement is born. That's love and respect.

Tell me a little bi - chicago center stage magazine.

"Although we're not the Hip Hop Type, we recently ran into Ezekiel at the Democratic National Convention after his very mind blowing preformance on the main stage, and I must say I'm a fan!
Its Nice to see a veteran with some talent, alot of vets claim they should be famous, ezekiel38 really should be, and we are going to push his new single as hard as we can while it helps us push our campaign to end this ridiculous war!
cheers zeek" -Brad Stern I.V.A.W on Fearless Radio - Iraq Veterans against the war ON Fearless Radio

Vertual Vertigo's "back to tha Pod EP" is a futuristic journey into a realm in which very few Hip Hop acts have dared to go. For sake of comparison, the EP rubs me like Dr. Octagon with a slight twist of Outcast!" a very new and rare sound which will make rhyme scientists' toes curl. On the very tripped out track titled 0000 the rhyme duo weave their rhyme patterns through a majestical down tempo black hole. Provided exclusively by producer Aether216, the beats are just as abstract and ground breaking as the lyrics and delivery. My only complaint would be that the Ep was too short. 4 full length tracks an interlude and instrumental. Great First impression, but I would've like to hear more from the very thoughtful creative bunch! Keep a close ear for Planet Verts own Vertual Vertigo, because from what I've seen these boys will stop at nothing until lift off!!
up up and away! - UBO magazine

Vertualvertigo - Sparkies Bungalow
Vertualvertigo nennen sich die beiden hippen Rapper Ezekiel38 und Cerebral Vortex, die sich in der Hippster Rapper Schublade ganz und gar nicht wohl fühlen. Kennen gelernt hat man sich zufälligerweise in Nürnberg und schnell war klar, dass es große geschmackliche Überschneidungen gibt, weshalb es alsbald zur Gründung der Band kam. Nachdem die Jungs in den vergangenen 8 Jahren schon Live Erfahrung in allen 50 U.S. amerikanischen Staaten gesammelt haben, macht sich das Duo nun daran, auch den Rest der Welt mit ihren Liveshows zu beglücken. Wer Lust hat, sich das ganze anzusehen, der hat am 10.06., im Bang!Bang!-Club in Berlin Gelegenheit dazu. Grund für das Gastspiel, ist das zusammen mit dem Berliner Produzenten 8Bit, eingespielte Kollaboprojekt, “Sparkies Bungalow“. Als kleinen Vorgeschmack, haben wir hier noch ein kleines Interview und einen Konzert Ausschnitt für euch bereitgestellt. Viel Spaß damit. Alternativ dazu könnt Ihr auch myspace.com/bungalowpreview checken


rap.de: Wie wichtig ist myspace für euch?



Vortex: Myspace hatte einen großen Einfluss auf meinen Erfolg als Künstler und darauf, meiner Kunst eine größere Plattform zu bieten und somit eine weltweite Fanbase aufbauen zu können. Bevor Myspace, waren online Communities für mich nichts anderes, als eine Möglichkeit Frauen kennen zu lernen.. Myspace hat blackplanet.com und amigente.com komplett überrannt. Ohne myspace hätte ich 8bit vielleicht nie kennen gelernt und das alles wäre gar nicht möglich gewesen. Vielen dank Tom!



Ezekiel38: Dito! Myspace ist zur ultimativen Plattform geworden, was das Buchen von Shows und sämtliche andere geschäftlichen Aspekte der Musik betrifft. Vieles von dem, was wir in den letzten fünf Jahren gemacht haben, hätten wir ohne yyspace nie geschafft. Ich glaube, dass über 75% der Kollaborationen die wir in den letzten Jahren gemacht haben, ohne myspace, nie zustande gekommen wären. Auch wenn es eine Schande ist, dass man heutzutage mit Spam Mails und Werbung überhäuft wird, liebe und brauche ich es immer noch.



rap.de: In euren Videos sieht man Fahrräder, lila Shirts und sehr bunte Shorts. Würdet ihr euch als so genannte Hipster Rapper bezeichnen?



Vortex: Ich bin kein Hipster Rapper. Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht mal genau, wie ein Hipster Rapper definiert wird. Ich lebe in meiner eigenen Blase und lasse nur dass an mich ran, was mir gefällt. Fahrräder finde ich einfach cool, weil sie ein sehr umweltfreundliches und gesundes Fortbewegungsmittel sind, aber ich bin ein sehr schlechter Fahrradfahrer. Lila ist die Lieblingsfarbe meiner Mutter und ich finde sie auch sehr schön und zu den Shorts, “Jams“ ist einfach meine absolute Lieblingsmarke, was Bademode betrifft, deshalb habe ich einen Bezug zu diesen bunten Shorts, weil sie einen Teil meiner Persönlichkeit ausdrücken. Ich habe die als kleines Kind schon getragen.



Ezekiel38: Ich denke viele Leute heutzutage müssen auch alles zwangsläufig in eine Schublade pressen. Ich und Vortex waren schon immer auf dem neusten Stand, was Mode betrifft, aber wir sind der reinen Kunstform Hip Hop immer treu geblieben. Ich habe nicht mal ein lila T- Shirt. Ich glaube ich habe nur einen lila Pullover irgendwo rum liegen.



rap.de: Was fehlt denn eurer Meinung nach im heutigen Rap?



Vortex: Ich denke das, was am meisten im Hip Hop fehlt, ist Integrität. Die Leute haben einfach Angst davor sie selbst zu sein und sind der Meinung, immer den neusten Trends folgen zu müssen, anstatt einfach auf ihr Herz zu hören.



Ezekiel38: Mir fehlt der Alltagsbezug. Ich kann mich noch daran erinnern, als Mc´s über Dinge gerappt haben, zu denen jeder einen persönlichen Zugang hatte. Phife Dawg(ATCQ) hatte 8 Millionen solcher Geschichten zu erzählen. Der Typ hat darüber grappt, wie er ausgeraubt wurde und anschließend trotzdem noch zu seinem Date gegangen ist. Solche Sachen sind den Besten von uns schon passiert. Vieles von dem Zeug was heute so rauskommt, hat einfach den menschlichen Aspekt komplett aus den Augen verloren. Es ist als ob Roboter das Game kontrollieren würden.



rap.de: Welche Kunstform bevorzugt ihr, wenn es um visuelle Kunst geht?



Vortex: Wenn es um visuelle Kunst geht, dann ist Mode meine Lieblingsausdrucksform überhaupt. Für mich sind die Klammoten die jemand trägt, hinsichtlich seiner Persönlichkeit, ähnlich aufschlussreich, wie die Styles und Characters eines Graffiti Künstlers



Ezekiel38: Für Historische Kunstwerke habe ich mich erst vor kurzem so richtig interessiert. Vieles davon finde ich dope. Ich mag so ziemlich alles aus der Rokoko Epoche, bis hin zu den frühen 90ern. Dalis Zeug ist absolut verrückt, darüber hinaus stehe ich auf neoklassizistische Architektur und das ganze New York Studio Zeug, wie z.B. Georgia O'keefe. Basquiat ist mein absoluter Lieblingskünstler.



rap.de: In welcher Rap Tradition würdet ihr euch einordnen oder anders gefragt, wer sind e - RAP.DE

Last night, 215:THE FRESHEST KIDZ performed at Rehab in NYC to an intimate crowd. The alliance consist of Cerebral Vortex (Austin,TX), Buddy Leezle (San Fracisco, CA) and Ezekiel 38 (Chicago, IL). All three members have solo projects and are constantly recording and traveling the globe to perform. Cerebral Vortex was shooting a video this past weekend in Brooklyn, directed by Junior Junior Skyhook, who also directed “Cafe De Phresh”. Buddy Leezy is finishing up a mixtape titled “Hipster Jesus” featuring production by Bird Peterson and others. And Ezekiel 38 is performing at the Vans Warp Tour July 31st in Noblesville, Indiana. If you’re a fan of Mickey Factz, The Cool Kids, Flying Lotus and Spankrock, then these cats are right up your alley!
- witness (http://www.frank151.com/2008/07/29/215the-freshest-kidz/)

215: The Freshest Kids and Theophilus London are the guests for this months Turbo Crunk party @ CODA. We will also have surprise guests on deck! Leezle and Vortex are straight killers, and Theo is about to RUN NYC for everything it has… that is all you really need to know for now. - thau

With everyone still drooling over his debut ep “jagz the smack”, rustie is back with a brand new record. since the release of jagz, rustie has become an in demand live act and topic of nuff internet chat. the dizzying rate at which he produces demands a daily visit to his myspace to check his latest beats. alongside hudson mohawke (warp) he is part of the lucky me crew, a group of producers, djs and artists producing some of the most innovative hip-hop this side of madlib. our berlin brethren modeselektor invited him to play at their recent i love modeselektor party in paris, whilst online behemoth boomkat declared jagz the smack to be their #1 record of 2007. the café de phresh ep sees our man team up with california mcs buddy leezle and cerebral vortex from 215 the freshest kids for a record inspired by the two ds - drexciya and dilla. on side a leezle and vortex let loose all over rustie’s beats, reminding us that hip-hop is about partying, ladies and most of all having a dope sneaker collection. we kept the b-side for the instrumentals: think drexciya style synth flourishes meets low-end dirty hip-hop swagger – aquacrunk, as we like to call it. the first 500 records come in a screen printed 80s graffiti inspired sleeve created by stuffrecords’ in-house designer and dj, goodhand (creator of the flying lotus reset game). support so far from mark pritchard, dj /rupture, phon.o, modeselektor, jay scarlett, neil landstrumm, mary anne hobbes and more. hold tight for more rustie as we’ll soon be dropping the jagz the smack remixes. - nuloop.com

INSANE SWAGGER!! CRAZY SWAGGER! CEREBRAL VORTEX APPROCHES THE RING WITH GARGANTUAN SWAGGER! THE OTHER GUYS THINK A COUPLE RHYMES ABOUT THEIR THROWBACK BIKE COLLECTIONS AND SNEAKERS WILL CUT IT. UNFORTUNATELY THEY WILL NOT. THAT'S WHAT'S MURDERING ME ABOUT DUDE...HE'S SO THOROUGH, GOT CONTENT FOR DAAAAAAAAAAAYS!! THIS ONE'S KINDA EASY BAIT! THIS DUDE IS KINGING SCHITT IN TWO THOUSAND AND HATE!! I HATE MOST RAPPERS CAUSE THEIR BETTER THAN ME...AND TEND TO FALL FOR ODD BALLS...BUT HERE'S A RAPPER WHO IS MILES BETTER AND I HAVE A REAL JONZIN TO HEAR!!

HE'S KILLING ON ALL SORTS OF LEVELS AS PART OF 215 THE FRESTHEST KID$ (215TFK); HIS MIXTAPE PROJECT WITH RAZIEK...AND THE MAD SCHITT HE'S ABOUT TO DROP WITH DRE DEY!!

{{{EXCLUSIVE NEWS:: I'VE BEEN DOING SOME TUNES WITH HIM THAT'LL SEE DAYLIGHT MAD SOON...CRAZY TAG TEAM STYLE}}}

HE'S A GREESEY LYRICIST, HAS HIS MYSPACE PIMPIN GAME RIGHT (where's mine??), ROCKS A FURRY FEDORA; NEVER WIPES HIS FEET ON ANYTHING LESS THAN A MINK RUG; EATS KICKS; AND IS SPITTING MURDER RIGHT NOW!!!

- discomachete

So, the United Kingdom will break you for pounds however it possibly can. Just so you know. While you can't breathe without being charged 6 pounds and 45 pence, it's still a great spot and boy, can those dudes party! Yeah! Uhhh, back to the blog posts.....

The first installment is a colab type of ting-ting from a Berliner (Robot Koch) and a Texan (Cerebral Vortex) over tech'd out hip-hop infused electro beats, but in reverse. Robot Koch does muzak with lots of formations of people and has remixed everyone from Amanda Blank (duh...) to Rustie (dubstep dancefloor duke from Lucky Me crew in Glasgow) and Infinite Livez. (dude on Big Dada, Spank Rock's old label) Cerebral Vortex (or C.V. as I'll call him from here on, that name is formal as hell and too hard to type) is in 215:TFK with Buddy Leezle (TFK stands for The Freshest Kidz, no one will grow into an adult ever again.) and handles rap business like a true G would over this here track. Another dude would tell you that underground hip-hop is dead, but with names like Robot Koch and Cerebral Vortex that shit is a lie. Basically, rap is for balling dudes talking to girls instead of other 55th level World Of Warcraft players. (BTW:Did you know that they sell WOW stats on Ebay? Fools are too lazy to play a fucking role-playing game on the motherfucking computer. Rich people will spend money on anything...) If skaters can have 26 inch rims on their BMW's, we can talk to girls and wear expensive shoes and tight-ass pants, gotdamnit.

And you know a nickel has to hit you with the bonus round material, but this time it's a "one mo gain" from the kids I wrote about last time. BLAMMA! BLAMMA! hit me with their official remix of that Cazals song "Somebody, Somewhere" and the homies from L.V. (Las Vegas not Louie V.) Afghan Raiders sent me a mysterious track with Guilty Simpson (current hood rapper icon of Detroit, Michigan) entitled "Bandits Of Brooklyn" that they did for no particular reason. Sick.....

- subtitle

We also have a hotter than hot new release coming up in september, Robot Koch & Cerebral Vortex teaming up for some stripped down electronic hiphop-derivative going by the name of "Vortex Cookies", proper artwork and killer remixes included. Stay tuned for updates on this.

We like Vortex Cookies so much that there will be a limited edition package in august, screenprinted shirts and records, limited to 100 pieces worldwide. These gems will be available through a few selected shops and thru our new website. More on that? Soon.

+++ Newsflash End +++

Thanks everyone for supporting UpMyAlley, means a lot to us - we couldnt do it without you. United we stand in our fight against bullshit music!
- upmyalley records (myspace.com)

http://issuu.com/hiphopvinyl/docs/hhv_magazin_03_2009?mode=embed&layout=http://skin.issuu.com/v/light/layout.xml&showFlipBtn=true


page 10 - HHV.de