The Halifax hip-hop community is far from slowing down and we’d like to partially give that credit to Tachichi and Moves with the release of their new album Pressure Posse. Knowing Tachichi, he prides himself on choosing the right beat for the words he expresses and, with the help of Moves, this album is no exception.
Tachichi and Moves are no strangers to each other. The two have worked on many previous albums and EPs together such as Off The Breathalyzer and Booze Brothers. Their familiarity with each other shines throughout the eight well-honed tracks, with Moves’ quick tempo productions give ground for Tachichi’s lyrical exploration. Pressure Posse was mastered by Stuntman at Suite Sound Labs in Vancouver.
“Moves and I have been working together for over 23 years and have been a group together for that time as well,” says Tachichi. “We are really familiar with each other’s styles, so this project went fast and easy. We basically recorded this album in two all-day sessions. I write and perform the lyrics while coming up with the concepts and Moves produces the beats and mixes the album is how it usually goes.”
The opening track, “Summer Slam,” pays an homage to summertime antics, al while name dropping coronavirus in the song. This is probably one of the catchier songs on the album as the chorus hasn’t left our heads since listening to it.
The album includes the regular roster of artists and labelmates being featured on the album, as it lends a platform for local artists to showcase their talent and add their flair alongside the duo. The diversity of their rapping flows easily between slow rhythmic enunciation to swift lyrical jabs. This is especially embodied on the track “The Exchange” which features Cee!!!!!!!!, Ghettosocks, Aquakultre and Sean One.
“Cause and Effect” starts off with another familiar name: the infamous Jolene. The track samples Dolly’s song, but takes on a percussive style much like Eminem and an aggressive flow similar to that of Big L.
“The stand out track for me is ‘Cause and Effect’ because we sampled Dolly Parton’s song ‘Jolene’. We figured if you slowed that down and fired a beat under it that it would go hard! And it turned out lovely so we are super hype about that!” says Tachichi.
With an acoustic drum sample beat and added New York-style flow “The Way It’s Going Down” gives us a taste of Beastie Boys. It’s exactly the kind of thing you would want to hear on the soundtrack to end all soundtracks: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
“ I’d like to just say that I think for a project that is considered underground and low-fi it really doesn’t sound that way. The whole album sonically sounds clean and banging from top to bottom. I thank Moves and Stuntman for that,” say Tachichi.
Tachichi leans heavily on his 90’s influences and we are here for it. Each track has its own unique flavour yet still holds true to that East Coast style. With more time on his hands do not be surprised if we hear more from him soon in the future.