Digible Planets – the jazz hip-hop fusion that has found its time
Hip Hop has always had strong links to jazz and blues music. Few albums demonstrate these links as clearly as Digable Planets 1993 album Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Space and Time) and their 1994 follow up Blowout Comb. So far these have been the only albums from the trio, who over the last few years have been reforming to play to old and new fans - and hopefully work on some new tunes.
Grievous Bodily Calm had that best run of the night with a crystal clear sound and a small but invested crowd. No longer emerging, they are an established talent on the Perth musical landscape, with their first studio album Repel released earlier this year. Alex Reid on percussion is brilliant, an absolute joy to watch. The quintet, rounded out with Matthew McGlynn on trumpet, Edo Ekic on guitar, Zac Grafton on bass and Josiah Padmanabham on keys - played to and with each other in a way that genuinely filled the venue with joy. This wordless communication with eachother and the audience is what all really good live music has in common and it made for a fantastic start to the night.
Allysha, of the eponymous Allysha Joy Trio had the spirit of Erykah Badu in her as she interacted with the audience, encouraging the smashing of patriarchy. A key member of Melbourne collective 30/70 she released her first solo EP Akadie : Raw in 2018 with Manchester based Gondwana Records. She somehow made RnB her own unique genre on Friday with her husky vocals and ingenious earrings-as-percussion weaving into complex melodies. The skills of local DJ Charlie Bucket meant that their set melded seamlessly into his, as he worked the crowd for Digable Planets.
Between the beat jazz of Grievous Bodily Calm and the soulful rnb vibes of Alysha Joy, to Digable Planets putting out their jazz infused bluesy hip hop out, this night could have been something really special. However, while The Astor has been doing a steady trade in nostalgia acts for the past decade, it seems that the venue was not equipped to handle the technical requirements of this kind of eclectic lineup that night. Sound issues plagued the three acts, and as the place got more crowded, it seemed that the levels didn't change at all to accommodate the growing numbers.
This didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of a crowd, though, who had waited 25 years for the trio to tour to Perth. The trio put on a well-honed show supported by an amazing live band. They finished on the high of seminal track Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) , and the crowd left wondering what the much teased new music from the band will sound like. With the involvement of Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler in Shabazz Palaces, and the critically acclaimed independent releases of Mariana "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving, any new tunes are eagerly awaited.
