The dynamic duo of vocalist / songwriter Sharon “Miss Red” Stern and producer / DJ Kevin “the Bug” Martin have returned with The Four Bodies – a four-song EP of their brand of “toxic dancehall.” The two of them work so well together that it’s difficult to tell where the influence of one on the other begins or ends.
Each song represents a different universal element. “Shut In Your Head” is Earth, and its deep bass and lyrics of Red’s inner power being like a simmering volcano are evidence of this idea. “Loco” is the Fire element, and the Bug’s drums crackle like a campfire until Red’s sharp vocals turn it into a raging blaze that cannot be stopped by any conventional means.
“Don’t Text Back” (water) bubbles and rolls along like a lotus flower on a lazy river while the Bug’s dub beats cause concentric ripples across the surface and Miss Red calls to us from dark depths. The universal element of air is represented by “Prayers” – an ethereal instrumental well-suited for meditation and / or spell casting. Stern has made it known that some of the inspirations behind The Four Bodies were shamanism and witchcraft (and the EP’s cover alone tells us this), so the mystical feel of the record is prevalent throughout it.
It’s not surprising because Miss Red’s other collaborations with the Bug often sound otherworldly and are tinged with a bit (or more, depending on the song) of menace. The Four Bodies is no exception and an intriguing addition to Miss Red’s already fascinating discography.
Keep your mind open.
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We’ve reached the top. Here are my five favorite albums of 2018.
#5: CHAI – Pink – These Japanese ladies are not only challenging your concepts of attractiveness and what is or isn’t “cute” by being fiercely DIY, they’re also challenging anyone who dares to try rocking as hard as they.
#4: Miss Red – K.O. – This is a dangerous and sexy dancehall record featuring fast, stunning vocals by Miss Red and powerhouse beats by the Bug. They’re the best tag team since the British Bulldogs.
#3: Here Lies Man – You Will Know Nothing – “What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat?” is how this band was described by their label. I can’t describe it better than that. It’s full of dark beats, heavy bass, and African rhythms. You can’t miss.
#2: BODEGA – Endless Scroll – Easily my favorite post-punk record of the year and one of the best records reflecting life in 2018. It skewers hipsters, relationships, partying, and technology and is even heartbreaking a couple times.
#1: A Place to Bury Strangers – Pinned – Any record by APTBS is going to be among my top picks of the year, and I knew as soon as I heard the interesting direction they took with the addition of Lia Braswell on drums and vocals that anyone trying to dislodge this record from my #1 spot would have to bring its A-game (as APTBS does at every live show). It’s dark, loud, creepy, and sinks deep into your brain when you hear it.
Thanks for all the views in 2018. A lot of good records are already slated for 2019: The Night Beats, the Chemical Brothers, the KVB, and (let’s hope) the Chromatics just to name a few.
Weighing in at…I have no idea, actually, but she can’t be more than a featherweight, Miss Red has unloaded an album worthy of its title – K.O.
I described Miss Red’s music to a coworker as “Jamaican dancehall by way of Israel and Germany.” He claimed not to understand it, but his head was bobbing and his hips were moving before he realized what was happening.
Collaborating once more with beat master the Bug, Miss Red throws out “Shock Out” like a quick jab testing her opponent’s guard. When it lands at the 43-second mark, it about splits your nose open. Red’s rapping is fast, smooth, sexy, and dangerous. Bug’s beats are like a growling, prowling bear emerging from its den ready to devour anything in its path. “Give me the money and pass me the mic,” Red sings on “One Shot Killer.” “One move wrong and you’re gonna see me bite,” she warns / tempts before her vocals take on a smoky quality that is difficult to describe but wonderful to hear.
She bobs, weaves, and shuffle steps with amazing speed on “Money Machine.” I don’t think she’s keeping up with the Bug’s thumping beats so much as they’re keeping up with her. “Alarm” is a short banger, almost like a blitz of punches that disappears as quickly as it begins, like a set-up for a stronger blow. That stronger blow is “War” – a dub mind-trip that feels as punch-drunk as it sounds. “Come Again” has Red claiming her heavyweight (in terms of skill) title from people who can’t match her game. The synth-bass on it is some of the biggest on the record, too. “Big” has her letting everyone know she’s far bigger than her size would have you believe. She might be small, but Miss Red is a giant throwing lighting bolts from thunderclouds once she grabs the mic.
“Clouds” is another trippy dub track, and the electronic beats on “Dust” bubble into a wicked brew. “Dagga” is the first single off K.O., and it’s a good choice. It highlights Red’s vocal chops and the Bug’s wicked beats well. As good as that is, however, “Slay,” is downright jaw-dropping. It’s an instant floor-filler and one of the hottest club tracks of 2018. I can’t wait to hear this live. Red brings a kinky swagger to her lyrics (more than usual) and the Bug’s beats and breakdowns almost aren’t fair to practicing DJ’s like yours truly. The haunting “Memorial Day” belongs in a modern-day giallo film. Red opts for more singing than rhyming, and the Bug’s beats crackle like a bowl of your favorite cereal. The title track closes the album, and it’s a quick fadeout with Miss Red mostly chanting, “K.O.” throughout it. It’s like having your bell rung and seeing the lights go out as you fall to the mat in blissful stupor.
Miss Red is a fierce opponent. I wouldn’t want to face her in a rap battle, let alone in a street fight. She’d probably seduce you with her agile vocals and then break at least one limb while your guard was down. Still, you’d have a great story to tell afterwards.
I was listening to BBC 6 Music (arguably the best radio station on the planet) last week when I heard a fiery MC with wicked flow, an accent I couldn’t place, and a killer dub/dancehall beat behind her. I immediately opened my Shazam app and discovered I was listening to Tel Aviv’s Miss Red, teamed up with Kevin “The Bug” Martin. I searched for more than the track I was hearing, and I found her mixtape – Murder.
Martin provides the weird 16-bit video game-like beats to open the mixtape with “Mad,” and Miss Red is chanting and singing right away with no fear whatsoever as Martin’s beats expand to near-madness levels, almost drowning out Miss Red’s voice. The title track follows, and it’s a stunner. If it doesn’t hook you right away, something is wrong with you. Seriously, get to a doctor, because Red’s squeaky reggae-loving flow is arousing (i.e., “Everywhere I go, the cool get hotter.”).
“No Guns” starts off with horror movie synths before unleashing beats thicker than Leatherface. The contrast with Red’s reverb-layered rapping is lovely and shocking at the same time. Martin takes his beats and synths straight into industrial territory on “What Would You Like” while Red sings about sex hot enough to match Martin’s beats.
“Rollercoaster” builds like the machine of its title creeping up the first hill toward a possibly terrifying plunge, but it leaves you stuck at the top in time for “Ganja Man” to come along and either relax you while you’re at the top of the hill or make you more paranoid. I’m not sure which. Martin’s beats are a bit “bad trip,” but Red’s vocals are like a scalp massage. “Sugar” might be about drugs or, to be frank, the taste of Red’s…kisses. Yeah, let’s go with that. One thing’s for certain, I’ll go with Martin’s beats all day long on this track. They’re thick as sorghum and slippery as butter cream icing.
“Lean Back” starts with an air raid siren that morphs into Red’s hypnotizing vocals as she encourages us to relax, listen to good music, and put aside our differences. Don’t worry, she doesn’t suggest we give up partying or standing up against the Man, because the next song is called “Trash It.” Martin’s beats sound like distorted rubber bands and Red’s rhymes grow like the She-Hulk. “Fever” begins with a shimmering harp notes until Martin’s Donkey Kong-stomp beats unload on you. Red’s vocals swirl around you like smoky ghosts.
Martin keeps surprising you with his loud bursts of synths and beats on “Pull It Up” while Red squeaks, chants, and rhymes in praise of her selector (That’s a Jamaican term for DJ, in case you didn’t know). Microphone feedback is used as percussion in “Leggo,” and Red stage whispers her creepiest vocals on the album.
The opening of “1 Dog Shot” sounds like a particularly grating alarm clock. Trust me, you’ll appreciate the wake-up call because Red bursts into the track like she’s crashing through a window on a rope while firing an Uzi. The beginning of the last track, “Come Down,” almost sounds like a dog barking in a far-off room, and I’m sure that’s no coincidence. Martin’s beats sound like a pressure cooker ticking off steam and Red hopes that someone will come down and pick her up, perhaps from her blues, perhaps from this plane of existence, or perhaps from the local club for a nightcap. It fades out quick, so it seems she got her wish.
Murder is hard to describe because it sounds like dancehall, but it also sounds like industrial madness, dubstep trip-outs, and psychedelic dream wave. In other words, it sounds like something you need to hear right now. Miss Red’s first album, K.O., is out this July and is already high on my list as something I need to snag as soon as it’s available.
As if Murder wasn’t good enough, Miss Red offers it for free download through her website and her Bandcamp page. You can’t miss.
