Album Review: EARTHGANG - Mirrorland
EARTHGANG’s Mirrorland is a an unpredictable beast to write a conventional review. Olu aka Johnny Venus and WowGr8 aka Doctur Dot, the duo consisting of EARTHGANG, have been around since 2008. After putting out several mix tapes they signed to J Cole’s Dreamvillie Records. At Dreamvillie, they released a trilogy of EPs, Rags, Robots and Royalty. Ironically Mirrorland is labelled as their major label debut studio album, even though the EARTHGANG duo has every right to call themselves as the veterans of the indie and alternative hip-hop game.
Mirrorland has 14 tracks with features from Young Thug, T-Pain, Kehlani, Arin Ray and Malik.
EARTHGANG’s Mirrorland is an abstract and experimental album. Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot aren’t interested in telling and singing about anything obvious and ordinary. They pass on the verses like relay sprinters, but still blow you away with interludes that come out of nowhere. A good example is a lady placing an food order right in the middle of the intro track ‘LaLa Challenge.’ “And don’t have my fries soggy/ Last time I came here my fries was extra fuckin’ soggy/ Y’all rice fresh?/ Aw, hell nah, you hesitated.”
In ‘Proud of You,’ featuring Young Thug, EARTHGANG pays homage to the women in their lives. ‘Swivel’ was part of Revenge of the Dreamers III by J Cole’s Dreamvillie. Doctor Dut shines on Swivel with an unstoppable flow that captures the paranoia of living dangerously and lying low when the neighborhood is on fire.
In ‘Tequila’ Doctur and Johnny team up with T-pain to render a nice chill out track that thanks God for the Tequila to beat the stress. ‘Trippin,’ featuring Kehlani, is a sexy track that isn’t afraid of getting graphic. “Tell me you love it when you’re inside/ Tell me it’s forever ’cause it fit right/ Guide me by my hips ’cause it sit high/ Lay something down ’cause it drip right,” Kehlani sings. ‘Stuck’ featuring Arin Ray is a soulful track that talks about being stuck in a relationship that’s a source of pain and pleasure. “Mister misunderstanding is marryin’ miscommunication today at three,” Johnny Venus declares.
Even though EARTHGANG has cited few influences ranging from Ohio Players to Madonna, it’s tough to label them with a certain genre. If you are looking for a different kind of music that doesn’t sound like anything you have heard before, in the recent times, then EARTHGANG’s Mirrorland is your best bet. No track on this album bores you with a predictable verse and a repetitive beat. It’s a truly refreshing, unpredictable and genre-bending album.
See EARTHGANG live in New Zealand this December.
Reviewed By: Frank Tremain