DEF WISH CAST - MAD AS A HATTER EP (Random Records - 1992)

As soon as you drop the needle on the wax you hear the track "Papertrack Novel". This track could probably be best described as a template for the Def Wish sound for the 90's. Each MC - Sir Wrek, Die C and Def Wish get a chance to showcase their skills on this track and they do not disappoint. Admittedly at the time i found Sir Wrek and Die C similar in sound and style but equally as dope as well (although i was able to distinguish them after some time) - they possess rough and rugged flows in unashamedly Aussie accents but without "exaggerating" their accents to the point of emphasising their country of origin (which was a very irritating and offputting tactic that some Aussie acts would adopt in later times). Above the other two though any hip hop fan would have to be blown away by Def Wish on the mic. Rapid, rapid, rapid fire almost ragga flows very much in a similar vain to Killa Instinct's Bandog. Sure Def Wish sounds young (even more so listening to him now years later)- and i think he was only in his teens when this EP came out - but geez the voice is just something to behold. The track itself has nice beat changeups throughout and any fan of the UK hardcore sound would surely love this track.

Next up we have "Daily Nightmare". Slightly slower track (by the group's usual standards) but still rocks hard. Somewhat reflective, message laden track discussing the struggles of every day life living on the streets. Highlight of this track would have to be DJ Vame cutting up s**t something lovely in the chrous breaks - and this happens throughout the whole EP (and most other things Vame touched after that as well). It also showed that the group had something to say.

Flip to Side B and you are greeted by the booming, foundation shaking, head nodding beat driving the "Mad as a Hatter" track. It has a "crushers of the wildstyle" sub track name and it certainly lives up to that as it is a rather old school sounding track with the MC's rhyming in a somewhat updated, less simplistic "Treacherous 3 taking britcore tablets" style. Again the DJ skills are in total effect on this one --- the likes of which are NEVER heard to that extent in 2006 and anyone under 18 would probably think it sounds dated - but we love it.

Last and DEFINITELY NOT LEAST is "Proppa Ragga". This is probably one of the most loved and admired Def Wish Cast songs ever and it's all thanks to the incredible display of skills by Def Wish. The song is basically broken up into three sections, each with their own distinct different "ragga yet hardcore" beat and Def Wish shows you how he can drop his rhymes in 3 totally different ragga'infused styles - but without coming off corny or contrived as "Mr. Informer" Snow. Part 1 and 2 roll along at nicely at mid tempo over reggae flavoured beats but the absolute pinnacle of this track is Part 3 of this song which kicks in after someone yells out "faster" - and that's exactly what happens - the beat and Def Wish go absolutely rapid fire breathlessly ballistic and it remains to this day as one of my favourite 1 minute sections of any song of all time and any fan of britcore sounding high BPM hip hop would be salivating listening to this. I've never heard a song before or since sucessfully pull of this concept of different beats and styles within one song so perfectly.

So there you have it - one of the earliest Aussie hip hop releases and even more special was the fact it was one of the first pieces of hip hop vinyl created in this country at a time when there was mostly only low quality demo type cassettes available within Aussie hip hop circles. Plus, despite some talk that Def Wish Cast themselves not wanting to be labelled as such, it sounded very UK hardcore/britcore hip hop influenced to me and i was very glad that the early Aussie product had such influences behind it.