Fat Hippy Sampler Volume IV

Anyone who knows anything about music in Aberdeen has – at the vest least – heard of Fat Hippy Records, and its legendary owner Captain Tom. Championing great local music in Aberdeen for a decade, Captain Tom and co have forged one of Scotland’s – if not the UK’s – most impressive independent record labels.

To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Fat Hippy Records have announced the fourth in a series of Aberdeen music samplers: Fat Hippy Sampler Volume IV. Featuring 20 of the most exciting bands from around the North East of Scotland, it represents the wide variety of music that’s being created in the city.

Like each of the samplers before it, Volume IV is a well-balanced record showing the true variety of sounds coming out of Aberdeen. Each band has recorded a brand new, exclusive track for the celebratory compilation, which sees blues nestle nicely alongside thrash metal; Americana with electro-indie.

Gerry Jablonski & The Electric Band kick things off with stunning blues number Suzi Sunshine, while the Brothers Reid’s country Americana sound shines through on Big Chill. Up next are metal outfit Bonesaw with the controversially monikered Necrosexual, before Thrashist Regime burst in with Megalomaniac. It’s an explosive start to the album, highlighting the diversity in Aberdeen’s music scene and engaging the listener.

Things continue on with Blood On Your Hands, a top classic rock tune courtesy of GutterGodz, which segways nicely into the folk-punk fury of The Lorelei’s First Kiss of the Year. The Ruckus continue on in the hard rock vein with There Will Be Blood before singer-songwriter Craig John Davidson and his band take things down a notch with the very listenable Half Alive.

The Deportees provide a further calm moment with the delicate indie-folk of The Ancient, which nicely showcases their luscious trademark multi-part harmonies. The next three tracks represent a laidback, often strings-laden approach to music making, with Soulfire’s Butterflies, Audiokicks’ Cold Light of Day, and Push Me Under by Descena all taking pride of palce in the middle of the record.

IndianRedLopez’s Life Back In Me comes next, revealing what the band have been working on since their acclaimed debut album. A top track filled with electro and indie elements, it’s an energising, exciting mid-record track... albeit gone far too quickly at just over 2 minutes. It’s followed by Progadellica’s quite brilliant instrumental Nose Bleed, bringing a welcome slice of progressive rock to the table.

Badge are up next with the hard-rocking Watchyerselmin before Underkills slow things down again with (Here Comes My Trip) Taking Over. Miss Lucid and You, And What We Are are up next with Fade Away and Best Laid Plans respectively, each a rollicking rock n roll delight. Cleric’s Orbs, Limbs and Scales and Bloodnut’s Copperhead round things off in typically metallic fashion.

And that’s it. The end of another Fat Hippy Sampler, and the beginning of another 10 glorious years for one of Aberdeen’s best-loved musical institutions. Long live Fat Hippy Records!

Fat Hippy Sampler Volume IV is out on the 29^th of October via Fat Hippy Records. Launch events will take place in the Lemon Tree on the 26^th and in One Up Records on the 27^th.

ES