Kapabel & Inf
De Avonturen van Kapabel & Inf
So here we are – the first nederhop review on i love donuts. Don’t run away, it’s really rather good. And as it’s available for free here, you’d be crazy to sleep on it.
De Avonturen van Kapabel en Inf (no prizes for getting what this means) is the fruit of a collaboration between Kapabel on the mic and Inf on production. It’s a rollicking ride of a record with a lush, funky backdrop that gives Kapabel plenty of space to let his energetic flow rip.
As an experience it’s a bit like a trip to the circus – it begins with the Ringleader welcoming the listener to the show before Kapabel sets his stall out on the bouncing K.A.P.A.B.E.L over the old school barking horns that provide the template for the sound of the EP. To take the circus metaphor to the limit, there’s even a track called the Haunted House (Spookhuis). But the scope of the record isn’t confined to just fun and games. There’s space for more reflective tracks like Het Vliegende Vloeitje with its hypnotic flute line and Neem de Tijd (Take the Time) which sounds like it’s come straight out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/a Zhang Yimou film. However it’s the more riotous tracks like De Leugen Regeert with its 70s cop show vibe and stabbing horns which you come back to bump again and again.
To give you an idea of how good this record is, when I’m doing a review of an album, I make a note of the stand out tracks as they crop up. Normally about 3 or 4 tracks jump out at you, but with Kapabel en Inf only two didn’t, and they were the two laidback numbers I mentioned above. Beter Wel, where Kapabel lets rip over what must be a lost Blaxploitation film score, and Hielenlikkers, which has the most upbeat use of an oboe I’ve ever heard, are particularly strong. Even the interludes are quality, as they broaden the sound to include RZA style crashes while providing a little respite from Kapabel’s relentless flow.
The EP (although it feels a bit cheap to call it that, as the depth and quality of the release means that it really merits full album status) ends with the upbeat Tis Ok and the promise of more adventures to come from our heroes. That’s the happy ending we all deserve after such a short but sweet introduction to their skills. They better not leave us hanging too long for the next installment…