The 36th Chamber Forum

Panorama

Panorama takes a widescreen view of the world, brutally honest throughout, and unashamedly and unflinchingly political in parts. Its creator
explains: “the whole point of Panorama is to think outside the box, see the bigger picture and broaden our minds.” This ethos ensures the record
goes beyond the more traditional subject matter usually associated with hip-hop and explores some broader global issues. The man behind the
vision is Braintax – rapper, producer, label owner, and luminary of the British hip-hop scene.

As an emcee Braintax’s always original lyrics and distinctive Yorkshire-tinged delivery mark him out from the crowd as one of the best. His
musical abilities extend beyond the microphone to production work which regularly graces other artists’ work and his own – five of Panorama’s
thirteen tracks are self-produced and testament to Braintax’s talent behind the boards. Braintax’s artistic endeavours have resulted in an ardent
army of fans; universal praise from pretty much everyone who’s shown an interest in, or been connected to, the hip-hop scene in Britain; and,
name-checks from notable artists including the Arctic Monkeys, Mr Scruff and Gorillaz.

Instrumental on the industry side of things as well, Braintax is the label owner, a co-founder, and driving force behind Low Life Records.
Through its 14 years in business and 40 releases, Low Life has been a powerhouse and catalyst for the growth of homegrown hip-hop, in the process
becoming one of the most respected independent labels in the country. The label’s name is inspired by the disdain with which UK hip-hop has been
treated by some, but Braintax and co have stayed true to their vision through thick and thin times employing an ambitious and professional
approach in an effort to push this area of music forward and transcend its traditionally underground status. Highlights of Low Life’s output to
date, and releases in which Braintax has played a pivotal part, include Jehst’s ‘Falling Down’, Rodney P’s debut album ‘The Future’ and
SkinnyMan’s highly praised, not to mention commercially successful, ‘Council Estate Of Mind’. Simply speaking, the chances are that if you’ve
already had any kind of exposure to homegrown hip-hop then Braintax has had something to do with it.

In 2001 Braintax unleashed his debut album ‘Biro Funk’. The record is widely regarded by rap fans as a classic and benchmark release; however,
since that time his energies have been diverted from creating his own material to handling other artists’ releases and the growth and running of
Low Life. After a five year hiatus he’s returning to the fray stronger than ever with Panorama – a record that’s highly anticipated by hip-hop
fans and also makes a strong and persuasive bid for a far wider audience. Panorama continues in the same high-quality vein as ‘Biro Funk’ and, in
addition, backs up Braintax’s up-scaled heightened ambitions with a bigger, brasher sound. The beats range from electro experimentation to boom-
bap to club bangers, with Braintax himself manning the dials on several tracks. Lyrically, topics covered include global politics - see the rabid
‘Syriana Style’ or the masterfully empathetic ‘The Grip Again’; environmental concerns through ‘Exit Plans’; race issues and home affairs on
‘Anti-Grey’, and the Thatcher dominated 1980s with ‘Decade’. Interludes between tracks include speeches from journalist Robert Fisk and George
Galloway complementing and continuing the record’s overall world view perspective. It’s fair to say this isn’t your average British rapper making
another average rap album. Panorama - come and admire the view.

Like the sound of this!!

Got the 12" Last Tenner b/w Run The Yards
wicked tunes both of em with a political slant that makes u consider