Beltaine’s Fire - Weapon of the Future
If Beltaine’s Fire is not the only Celtic hip hop group on the planet, I am sure it is a very short list. Their first album titled Weapon of The Future is available on Jamendo and it is a very entertaining mix of musical genres that, considering that both have a socio-political history, may have more in common than most people realize.
Rapper/lyricist Lynx is the primary voice behind Beltaine’s Fire. He is a veteran rapper whose beats and words effortlessly float over the music with clockwork precision. Yet the twist is that the branished “weapons” are traditional Celtic instruments such as clawhammer banjo, cello, and mandolin. The ever present rhythm is managed by bass and drums in a style that is respectable of both hip hop and Celtic music. The fourteen tracks are, in most cases, foot tapping revolutionary message songs. It is a strange but successful combination of the social anger of Rage Against The Machine and the traditional style of the Irish rebel band Wolfe Tones. Another comparison would be to the equally socially conscious Michael Franti who also turns to world music as his base. Beltaine’s Fire’s revolutionary zeal can be found on most tracks but best heard on songs like “Home”, “Thrive”, and the lively opening track “Carpe Diem” which is embellished by the mellow voice of bassist Laura. I also like it when the group slows down like on “A Month of Storms” and the moving “Be Myself”. I hear a little beat poetry seeping in on numbers like “A Months of Storms” which makes me wonder if there is a Celtic Tom Waits in Lynx as well. Immensely listenable and always thought provoking, Weapon of The Future is highly recommended.
The album is available in VBR MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by buying the CD.
fyi, there is another celtic hip-hop group - it’s french manau http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manau.
“Manau is a hip hop group formed in 1998, known for their fusing of traditional Celtic melodies with modern hip hop beats”
Comment by don — January 29, 2008 @ 12:03 pm
I’d really like to check this album out, but I can’t seem to get that site to let me download it….has anyone else had any issues with it? Is there some other source for the album?
Comment by Sun Zoo — February 1, 2008 @ 12:04 am
Sun Zoo, sometimes the album won’t download on the first try on the popup window that comes up. Just try again– eventually it will work.
Comment by lizzbee — February 1, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
Also, if you have a pop-up blocker, make sure it will accept pop-ups for Jamendo.
Comment by Marvin — February 2, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
Have you ever heared of a band called Marxman? Not quite good but HipHop with some Celtic/Irish influence and a strong political intention. (availible for a socialistic price of 1 cent at Ama*** marketplace ;-)
Comment by Mantanzas — February 8, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
hey there,
I just stumbled across your review, thanks for the kind words. We put a lot of hard work into that album so it’s great to see people’s reactions.
re: sun zoo - we originally released the album on a pay-what-you-want basis, but after almost 500 downloads not a single person had payed, so we decided to just straight out charge for it since we need to at least cover our costs. if you hit the paypal ‘buy now’ button on the website it costs $10 and at the end of the process you’ll get a link with the address to download the album. You can also listen to several of the tracks through the media player on the site before buying it.
marvin - would you mind if I quoted your review on our press page and press pack? we need some good quotes and you’ve got some great ones in here. I’ll include a link to your blog.
solid,
lynx
Comment by lynx — February 20, 2008 @ 8:55 am
Don’t mind at all. Quote away!
Comment by Marvin — February 20, 2008 @ 2:37 pm
after thinking it over, we decided to make the album free again. you might need to update your jamendo link, but it’s back up there.
Comment by lynx — March 7, 2008 @ 12:44 am