Mr. Williamz ADD

Review

Album Review: Million Stylez - Revelation Time

10/18/2015

by Gardy Stein

Who is Kenshin Iryo? A young man with Japanese & French roots living and working in Sweden. What is his relation to this review? Well, to mention that his alter ego is Million Stylez might be helpful. The youth who entered the Reggae/ Dancehall world with an unignorable bang in 2006 by throwing Miss Fatty at us (has it really been 9 years already since it dropped?) is growing up. While, almost 2 years ago, his EP Songs About You was a conceptual work oozing with languor centered around love and relationships, he now presents us with an album that is as mature as its title implies – Revelation Time!

The features alone are reason enough to get a copy of this Adonai release. Take the title track, for instance (even though we'll have to start at the end of the song-list to do that). Revelation Time is a single that has been around for more than a year now, profiting from the masterfully composed Way Back Riddim by France's Dub Akom. Still, the lyrics haven't lost a bit of their topicality, and it really is a pleasure listening to the wake-up-call issued by Lutan Fyah and Million Stylez.

Another great feature is Equal Rights & Justice, which holds several surprises. For one, the extraordinarily fat steppas riddim has been contributed by the so far unknown-to-me Bassic Division, a truly international project initiated by Swedish producer Nils Posse (watch out fi dis!). He went to Havana for a few months to record local musicians live and then let the results be voiced by Jamaican artists such as Kabaka. And Bounty Killer! To hear the Poor People's Governor in full swing is the other big zinger. Lord of mercy…

To one of these characteristic olden Heritage Roots-riddims, Peetah Morgan lends his voice to the conscious Never Conquer I. His maturity is a wonderful complement to the other singer's youngish toasting. Stepping into the digital sphere, the Dreadsquad-produced Can't Stop The Youth brings toasting specialist Mr. Williamz to the mic. Bim!

The remaining 8 solo-tracks provide a solid presentation of the singer's ability, although in some cases it's the quality of the riddim rather than Million's auto-tuned voice that make the track an exciting one. Conquering Lion by Costa Rebel is a case in point – vocally, the delivery is just not versatile enough to ride the minimal Dub beat satisfyingly. While My Shine or Breath Of Life are rather average pieces, the remaining tracks successfully widen the range of musical diversity further. In Struggle, for instance, the soft, dreamy tones of a glockenspiel create an enthralling contrast to the serious lyrics. Laid-back the pace continues in Where's My Wife (on the well-known Heart & Soul riddim by Notis Records) and Waiting (Damalistik), both tracks tailor-made for the crooning abilities of the artist. For the ladies!  

Another pensive tune, Lost Friends is dedicated to "the friends that I lost", talking about the difference between true and false friends. That leaves us with Babylon Is Burning, the melodious introduction to the album. Produced by Heavy Roots, the beautifully crafted track is a conscious, albeit a bit militant contribution to the ever-present Burn Babylon motive.

With Revelation Time, Million Stylez lives up to the claim his name represents. It is a mature production that gets better every time you hear it, and the variety of producers contributing their musical input guarantees the satisfaction of all tastes.  

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