Live Review: Ace Trainer Moose's sneak peak at deliciously gritty Mixtape 'Gen. 1'

Remixing works of both up-and-coming beatmakers and a very early track from hip hop heavyweight MF Doom, Ace Trainer Moose has conceived some insanely well produced tracks, creating ultra-smooth transitions and polished tracks reminiscent of Wu Tang Clan.

Moose’s vocals have a really unique character, not shading his Australian accent while retaining mellifluous, appealing articulation and pronunciation of the lyrics – something that is often no easy feat in the Aussie hip hop domain.

Gen.1 houses a variety of sample types and styles, driven heavily by classic rhythmic piano loops and funking bass, with some tunes softly overlayed with flurries of melodic riffs.

Ace Trainer Moose presents enigmatic vibes throughout the mixtape, however ‘Moose Attack’, ‘Crawl’ and ‘Drop’ push out melancholic ambiances and embody feelings of tension and unease.

‘Agen’ and ‘Gravy’ offer flickers of buoyancy in a stark contrast to these darker compositions, overladen with xylophone samples, purring synths and a sweet, serenading guitar phrases.

‘No Sweat’ is the standout track so far on the mixtape, reworking 1993 instrumental tune ‘What A Nigga Know’ by rap trio KMD, which was formed by MF Doom (under the alias Zev Love X) in the late 1980s. This tune boasts the track's original grooving bass line, heavily sampled lo-fi vocals and an extraterrestrial synth melody, skilfully articulating Moose's rap flow.

This appears to be very early days for Ace Trainer Moose, who has literally released all of his music this month without much additional information to lead off online. With more tracks promised for release over the next few months, this guy is definitely one to watch… or listen to on repeat.

Words by FREYA DINESEN

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