It's been well over a decade since he started his musical journey, buried in the new-type beats sent to Jazzy Sport in Morioka, Iwate from all over the world and the musty, dusty sample records dug up at the local secondhand shop... Wielding the SP-404 with a one-and-only groove and sampling sense, MAHBIE the beat wrestler has toured the country beat by beat, honing a deeply soulful, hybrid beat/sound. In 2017 he releases his long-awaited full-length album "Space Brothers."
The first half unfolds with MAHBIE's signature style, weaving soulfulness, nostalgia and warmth into a new-sensation hybrid hip-hop sound: "Party Over" opens the album with a piano refrain that resonates in the chest; "Mahbie's Step" mixes in Jamal-like phrases, catching the ear of seasoned hip-hop heads while delivering a fresh groove/sound with a hint of reggae dub; "Take It Two" carries a J Dilla-esque design; and "P.O.H." overwhelms with the sheer quality of its sonics and a stripped-bare sense of groove.
Then comes the album's title track and highlight, the special number "Space Brothers feat. Dengaryu, Bobby Bellwood," realizing a collaboration with Dengaryu, with whom he's kept in touch in his current base of Yamanashi, and Bobby Bellwood, whom MAHBIE reveres as a spiritual mentor. Dengaryu's pure, respect-filled lyrics reach across time toward the future and the past and will have you fighting back tears, while Bobby Bellwood's spirited backing vocals amplify a timeless soul feeling. A phrase from that one song etched into music history is woven deep into the track, making it an instant certified classic.
From the second half, two beat-down-style dance tracks tap into AOR disco and Brazilian rare groove sources/flavors, followed by "Ascension," which also contains homages to Count Bass D and Slum Village, and the closing track "Yoake," where a heartwarming organ colors the happiest of musical moments — a sound truly worthy of being called the culmination of his life in music.
From the Jazzy Sport room to the world's ring. The sound of beat wrestler MAHBIE, raised on the soil of Iwate, warmly shakes the world! -JAZZY SPORT
The first half unfolds with MAHBIE's signature style, weaving soulfulness, nostalgia and warmth into a new-sensation hybrid hip-hop sound: "Party Over" opens the album with a piano refrain that resonates in the chest; "Mahbie's Step" mixes in Jamal-like phrases, catching the ear of seasoned hip-hop heads while delivering a fresh groove/sound with a hint of reggae dub; "Take It Two" carries a J Dilla-esque design; and "P.O.H." overwhelms with the sheer quality of its sonics and a stripped-bare sense of groove. Then comes the album's title track and highlight, the special number "Space Brothers feat. Dengaryu, Bobby Bellwood," realizing a collaboration with Dengaryu, with whom he's kept in touch in his current base of Yamanashi, and Bobby Bellwood, whom MAHBIE reveres as a spiritual mentor. Dengaryu's pure, respect-filled lyrics reach across time toward the future and the past and will have you fighting back tears, while Bobby Bellwood's spirited backing vocals amplify a timeless soul feeling. A phrase from that one song etched into music history is woven deep into the track, making it an instant certified classic. From the second half, two beat-down-style dance tracks tap into AOR disco and Brazilian rare groove sources/flavors, followed by "Ascension," which also contains homages to Count Bass D and Slum Village, and the closing track "Yoake," where a heartwarming organ colors the happiest of musical moments — a sound truly worthy of being called the culmination of his life in music. From the Jazzy Sport room to the world's ring. The sound of beat wrestler MAHBIE, raised on the soil of Iwate, warmly shakes the world! -JAZZY SPORT