MUSIC: Apoc's "Brand New Thing"

- by Señor Editor, 24 January 2016

If you’ve been with us a long, long time then you just might remember Apoc as the man behind one of the stranger records we’ve reviewed here, the “Make Horns!” EP. That was about 3 years ago, and now he’s back with a brand new song and video, and it’s called “Brand New Thing”.

That review I just linked to somehow feels like it could use an update, simply because it doesn’t mention the long-term effects Make Horns! had on me. While I did give it a positive review, I started enjoying it even more as time passed, to the point where I really started digging in the quite sizeable Apoc back catalogue.  
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What I learned from this is that the Chicago-born, globetrotting rapper never releases two records that sound the same (actually, he even looks different each time he’s got something new out), often has some really inventive concepts in his music, and has the charisma to make all of these different versions of himself work. From the more “traditional” rap style of the Langston Bukowski stuff (with Racecar) to the more electronica-driven weirdness from recent years. He’s also got something that many artists are lacking, which is a clear sense of his own style. Not only is it there in his music, but there’s also a strong visual identity to everything he’s doing.

By the time I was done checking the old stuff I was really looking forward to brand new things from Apoc.
 
“Brand New Thing” is a song about this thing that’s so new, so much better than the old thing, and so damn good and desirable that you just need to have it. You know the thing.
 
The track is produced by longtime collaborator Earmint, and Apoc uses the hypnotic beat to deliver the abstract marketing braggadocio anthem you’ve been waiting for. “Says right here that it's fantastic / Already classed it among the classics / Crafted and casted in glass and plastic / so no man alive can ever outlast it” - that’s some hype we can finally believe. The whole thing wouldn’t work so beautifully if it wasn’t for Apoc’s absolutely killer flow, his humor and salesmanship skills so intense you’ll be reaching for your credit card before the song’s over.
 
What is the brand new thing, anyway? Is it all the collectible shit I’ve been flooding my house with? Is it just a concept to build this whole commentary about being obsessed with consumerism around? Is it Apoc himself? Well, you can read the man’s explanation for it below the video, but whatever it is – I’m sold.

 

'Look at this thing - it’s brand new!' 
So demands our televisions, our computers, our smart phones, placards along our highways and in shop windows and just about every other available public space. So demands this very press release and so demands Apoc, in his new song and video, “Brand New Thing.” This is a dog and pony show for dog and pony shows, an attempt to rebrand rebranding, a product launch on an infinite loop and a publicity campaign for planned obsolescence. Apoc is the Billy Mays of Art Rap; the Ron Popeil of Post-Hip Hop pitchmen. As usual what’s actually for sale is our own sad reflection. 'But wait, there’s more!' 

 

If you dig the song and dig the video, you can head over to this Kickstarter page, where you can get a digital download of “Brand New Thing” and help Apoc and director Scott Upshur get the funds for their next video. Go do that! And let’s hope we get more brand new things from Apoc soon.

RELATED LINKS:
- Apoc "Make Horns!" Review

For more on Apoc, check out his official website and follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

Tagged: music, Reviews.

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