Poetikool Justice

Every time, without fail, Kumfy Klub pleases. This weekend one of my friends from Melbourne was in Adelaide and the timing could not have been better. I said, “Girl, you need to let your hair down and come on out to Kumfy Klub.” “What is this Kumfy Klub?” she replied.

Kumfy Klub is a quarterly event that ties in with the seasons. It’s usually held at popular pub/club the Crown & Sceptre. Offering a beer garden, a dance floor, art on the walls, no pokies and great entertainment, it’s tough to look past. It’s also pretty easy to get rock star parking out the front, since it’s away from other clubs down King William St.

The autumn edition of Kumfy Klub had an absolutely scorching line up. Kicking off the live music part of the night was Poetikool Justice, a group I’ve been meaning to see ever since I bumped into the guys when I saw Fat Freddy’s Drop at Womadelaide. The PJ’s, as their ever-swelling fan base fondly calls them, have a funky reggae roots influenced sound with rapping and rhyming lyrics dropped in over the top. A mate of my friend’s fiancé likened the guitarist SeanyD’s riffs to those of Tom Morello. The guys got the floor pumping and I had a bloody good time shaking my arse to tracks such as Place I Know and State of Opinion.

Next up on the bill were The Beat Smugglers, who despite their long relationship with the venue haven’t had an appearance at The ‘Sceptre for at least six months. When the ‘Smugglers took to the stage the vibe changed a little (for me anyway) as they have a darker d’n’b sound compared to the PJ’s. Whilst I didn’t recognise any of the tracks, I still enjoyed the music and the punters did too.

Trunk Funk Sound System and mash-up kings Track Team (formerly known as Noodle & The Activist) played some great dance floor tunes from the likes of DJ Shadow through to Queen. The highlight of the night for me though, was Poetikool Justice who are currently recording their debut album and I for one am eager to hear it.
- katykat - inthemix.com.au

as combined in force, these exciteable and endlessly pogoing lunatics cook up a diabolical storm of bouncy castle infected live hiphop and funk on stage, that draws so many swarms of crazed females in the crowd like moths to the flame to the front of stage going beserk to their pied piper rhythms.. that you wonder if this wacky shit does more to fire up the oestrogen levels around here tonight than that ever annoying yet catchy 19-20-20 song by THE GRATES does to the SHOTZ dancefloor at 4AM.. like whoaaaaaaa maaan.. it's like a seafood salad out there with nary a sausage (although if you look carefully, there IS that one hopeful twit with the mo-hawk and some other dude hoping to cash in at the front.. bwaahahahaha!)

yup, there's something about this idiotic brand of live AUSSIE HIPHOP (very much in the vein of BUTTERFINGERS and THE HERD but thankfully not in grunting self important arsehat vein of THE HILLTOP HOODS) that seems to really drives these chicks (and just about everyone else) in the crowd insane.. faaaark.. if I could like, bottle this shit or better yet dry it, roll it into some kinda leaf and sell it in psychedelic smokeable form I'd be a freaking gazillionaire with my own island dictatorship and a private army by now..

seriously, if you missed this gig and you KNEW what you were missing out on you'd probably be throwing y'self screaming off a bridge right about now.. such is the diabolical and freaky (soon to be smokeable) power of POETIKOOL JUSTICE.. feaaar the beast!
- Spoz - spoz.blogspot.com

finally, I manage to free myself from the green psychedelic haze of the beer garden to find the next act, POETIKOOL JUSTICE jumping around on stage..

now, I'd heard OF these crazy kats before, I'd been recommend to go see 'em on countless occassions and heard numerous hyperbola and hype.. but, of course.. since I generally laugh in the face of hype (and then run away from it before it can beat me senseless over the head with itself) I'd never actually got off me arse and seen 'em play live..

but with their addictive subsonic funking rhythms..
the hyperactive machine gunning freestyle lyrical flows..
them chunked out funky monkey guitar riffs..
and all the smashed out percussive hiphop breaks..

they made for one fucking insane party time hiphop live instrumentalist funk band that damn near whipped the crowd into an ear to ear grinning drug crazed kid's party on the dancefloor.. fucking tore the roof off the joint.. absolute fookin' caaarnage.. POETIKOOL JUSTICE, I freakin' salute you! :)
- Spoz - spoz.blogspot.com

POETIKOOL JUSTICE (****1/2)
Aussie hiphop is a strange breed, quite distinct from it's American cousins. Whilst American hiphop is militant as fuck: banging bling, bitches, blunts and 40s, shooting both barrels off and blowing a load over the life and grime of the ghetto; Aussie hiphop is just happy to space out on the couch all day, smoke trees of weed, drink, fuck and party. Of course there are always a few exceptions to the rule; The Roots are some of the finest funked out shit you'll ever hear from the USA (you really can't beat hiphop with a live band), whilst Australia's "finest export" the Hilltop Hoods make me wanna take my own trip on the Bohoeffer suicide machine than ever submit myself to their brand of militant shouting "life is hard" gangsta shit (even with the Adelaide symphony orchestra in tow). Sure, it's not like I'm inviting a gang of stupidarse thugs in puffy jackets to knife me to death next time I walk through a Coles parking lot at 3AM, but seriously how badly off can you ever be if you're a white middle class kid living in the suburbs? FUCK!
Thankfully, Poetikool Justice are just what we're looking for: the ultimate a-grade Adelaide hiphop party band. They're Beastie Boys "Ill Communication" with phatter riffs. They're Butterfingers, The Herd and Koolism throwing a block party down the street whilst your grandmother breakdances in the driveway. Nothing about this band screams "gun violence" and everything about this band screams "let's hire a bouncy castle!". Light one up, dutch it up and pass it around, this is a band that lives to puff its dopearse grooves all over the joint..

Of course this would've usually been the moment I'd usually throw in some tasty live videos but considering it was so ridiculously dark in here I could barely see inches in front of my face; at least from the len's perspective (hmmm I wonder if this hacked firmware can do something about THAT), this crowd going apeshit speaks for itself. Feel free to join in aaaanytime..


- http://spoz.blogspot.com/2008/04/fraud-millionaires-poetikool-justice.html

POETIKOOL JUSTICE (****1/2)
Yup, thanks in no small part to Jimmy & The Mirrors' performance tonight; the crowd is dazed, disoriented, forgetful, a little sluggish, prone to fits of laughter and in serious need for a monster burrito and a cinema sized bag of peanut M&Ms. So what better act to follow for round four than Poetikool Justice! They're the sounds of Butterfingers, The Herd, Jurassic 5 and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. They're the sounds of five days spent tripping balls out in a Queensland rainforest. They're sex, drugs and on life on the dole. They're everything that is awesome about notching up a massive HECS debt for an arts degree that won't amount to nothing. And they're exactly what benefit gigs like this should be ALL about: nothing but smoking entirely too many blunt rhymes and dopearse grooves 'til not only do you start to think you can actually fly, but that you could single handedly solve all the world's problems if only you had a joint this phat to pass around. Aaaaah.. Poetikool Justice! They may make about as much sense as the 1st Matrix film played back to back with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", but they're no less the mad trip!

Of course anytime that's Poetikool Justice time, is party time for one and all. Whether they're playing to one or one thousand; these spliffed out rastafarians could probably rock out a funeral for a grey haired Sicilian widow shrieking in a corner whilst her brothers plot their bloodthirsty revenge and STILL get everyone jumping about like a bouncy castle at Disneyland..

But tonight, they manage to achieve what's usually a recipe for disaster for any other mixed crowd such as this: they brought both the rock and the hiphop scenes into the one room, they got them to party as one and then they got everyone out at the other end without requiring the services of Harvey Kietel, a decent cup of coffee, a few dozen fluffy towels and a few brisk runs through the car wash. Yup, I don't know how the hell they do it, but we should all be grateful we still live in a world where what'ever the hell they're cooking is still legal.. fuck yeaaah!

- http://spoz.blogspot.com/2008/05/end-child-slavery-global-night-shift.html

2008 LP Ground Level

Reviewed by Stu Wright

16 May 2008

Rising up from the western suburbs of Adelaide, ‘Poetikool Justice ’ are quickly making a name for themselves as the next big thing in Hip Hop / Rap around the local and, recently, national arenas. Their debut album ‘Ground Level’ is a mammoth offering - at a touch over sixty minutes in length, it provides a truly momentous canvas over which the boys paint their very colourful musical landscape.

Becoming more ingrained in your mind with each listen, this recording is very impressive for a first release. Poetikool Justice have produced a catchy, upbeat fusion of Hard Funk, Reggae, Hip Hop and Trip Hop which is immediately likeable and user friendly.

Musically, The PJ’s (as they are known to fans) work together well. The instrumental side of the band (Seanyd – Guitar, Adamb – Bass and Mitchay on Drums) provides the perfect backdrop for the lead duo of Dedz MC and Jahmin MC to impart their Social, Political and Environmental messages. Musically, they at times hit the heights of the Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘One Hot Minute’, with other obvious influences being Michael Franti, John Butler, Rage against the Machine, Sublime and 311 to name but a few. There’s always a smooth groove going on, with intelligent bass work and great walking throughout the entire album. Guitarist Seanyd constantly plays well, with a broad variety of sounds and approaches displayed in his musicianship. From heavy riffing to acoustic ambience, it’s all covered here. Good, solid performances that are layered nicely and have an unwavering feel and consistency that exudes confidence and ability.

Ultimately, however, what makes or breaks a group in this Genre are the MC’s, and most importantly what they have to say. On this level, Poetikool Justice has their other great strength; Dedz and Jahmin have a lot to say, and it is highly relevant not only to their lives but moreover, there is a message here for everyone. Accompanying the tasteful soft pack CD is a booklet, which even with such small writing struggles to contain everything the boys have to say on this release! This is what Dedz has to say, in his own words:

“Lyrically, our songs tend to be inspired by the space and beauty of the Australian landscape, the fact that, you know, we’re very lucky to have the time and the opportunity in this country to interact so fully and frequently with the natural environment. But on the other side of things, there’s a position here when you look at the political climate, and the sort of social issues that Australians are beginning to face and have faced, that makes me really question what’s right and wrong. Writing about these things from a personal perspective helps me to feel more positive, to understand these issues a little better and gives me a chance to voice an opinion” Dedz – MC / Vocals

And voice an opinion Poetikool Justice do. It’s not all as serious as you might think though, as all the tunes on this album always have a light, breezy feel to them, even during heavier moments – the fact that such fun songs carry some important messages is truly a measure of this group’s talent. It’s about what’s important to them, without preaching unrealistically. An impressive first offering to be sure, Poetikool Justice are definitely ones to watch…
- Stu Wright - http://www.musicsa.com.au/articles/reviews/poetikooljustice.aspx