(Illusive Sounds/Liberation)

Bliss N Eso caused quite a stir in the Australian hip hop scene with their 2004 release Flowers In the Pavement, a lot of people loved it and just as many hated it. They released an accompanying promo mixtape, that was somewhat better received than the original and their affiliate N.U.G jumped on every hip hop board he could, simultaneously making a complete fool of himself and defending their honor. Regardless of the press being negative or positive, it was still press and most people now know who Bliss’n’Eso are. They have also taken an objective approach to their careers, being one of the many these days to embrace commercial radio, film clips and marketable avenues of hip hop which of course only further divided their audience. 2006 will see them release the follow-up LP and Up Jumped the Boogie is the first single.

The crew has also been through a label change, Flowers in the Pavement was released through Obese but Bliss n Eso are now affiliated with Illusive and Liberation, arms of Mushroom Music that now also plays home to TZU and Weapon X & Ken Hell, and is obviously signing up talent that can dually satisfy Video Hits watchers and Aussie hip hop enthusiasts. Their new single, Up Jumped The Boogie, somewhat lacks the energy that characterised Flowers In The Pavement, and Party At My Place featuring UK MC Motley also feels a little diluted. That said I think that time has blessed Eso somewhat in the rhyme department, as whilst his lyricism is still punchline based and not overtly technical, his delivery and flow has impressed tenfold and his rhyming is definitely the highlight.

The record is definitely a live one in the sense that when you hear it you can imagine the MCs on stage, the crowd going crazy and all that jazz. They have created build ups in the track (without it sounding like trance) that will be great for live performance, the beats and the accessible atmosphere of the song will guarantee its success on radio. The Motley collaboration was a bit out of left field as he is not the most talented rapper on the planet and was easily outshined by Bliss and Eso, Motley tends to be seriously lacking in the flow department which in turn makes his rhymes look toy.

In summary, it’s signature Bliss N Eso but a bit more party this time around and it would appear a bit less fairytale and nonsensical. Whether you like it or not is a personal thing because Bliss N Eso will always be what they are, a good live act and a commercially viable party outfit. So, if hardcore underground hip hop is your thing, I wouldn’t recommend this release.