Since their humble beginnings in a Wolverhampton suburban bedroom, Leeds-based hip hop, space jazz and bass-loving outfit Paper Tiger have carved their own niche in the electronic music scene, both as a heavyweight production outfit and as a damned fine live band (sharing stages with the likes of Jaga Jazzist, Rustie, Gaslamp Killer, Daedelus, Alice Russell, Amon Tobin and many more).
Following on from their first of three releases on Wah Wah 45s, the six-piece found themselves highly sought-after, and consequently working with a wealth of talent that included Benin City’s Joshua Idehen, British rap superstars Foreign Beggars, leftfield U.S. trio Archie Pelago and, most recently, Stones Throw recording artist (and possibly the greatest MC out there right now) Homeboy Sandman. The latter’s collaboration with the band’s resident wordsmith, Raphael Attar, is just one highlight of Paper Tiger’s debut long-player, appropriately titled (for a crew who work as hard as these guys do) ‘Laptop Suntan’.
Keen Sense
The album is, as you might expect from artists with such broad tastes, a wonderfully diverse yet cohesive package. From the dextrous lyricism of Attar, as well as guests that include highly-rated UK MCs King Kaiow, Infinite Livez and Bang On! (Big Dada), to the sultry, soulful sounds of Sabira Jade (DJ Vadim, Frameworks), this album covers myriad palettes within electronic music. There’s a sonorous, mature quality in cuts like ‘Gundam Bling’ and ‘Drift’, as well as a keen sense of humour on tracks such as ‘David Starkey’ and ‘The Sting’.
Paper Tiger make music that’s one moment subtle, sensitive and delicate, and then another witty, sharp and supremely funky – it all comes together beautifully on ‘Laptop Suntan’, an album that will appeal to lovers of hip hop, soul and dance music in equal measure.
Reactions
“Solid instrumental excursions that touch on everything from twisted beats to dance floor jams and dubby melancholia. Basically, it’s solid, like the laptop I’m writing this on.” FACT Magazine (UK) http://www.factmag.com/2013/11/13/and-this-one-time-the-best-bandcamp-releases-of-the-month-november-2013/8/
“Since their humble beginnings in a Wolverhampton suburban bedroom, Leeds-based hip hop, space jazz and bass-loving outfit Paper Tiger have carved their own niche in the electronic music scene, both as a heavyweight production outfit and as a damned fine live band (sharing stages with the likes of Jaga Jazzist, Rustie, Gaslamp Killer, Daedelus, Alice Russell, Amon Tobin and many more).” beatnikcreative.com www.beatnikcreative.com/2013/blog/paper-tiger-laptop-suntan
“That is wonderful! Well worth a look.” Nemone (BBC 6Music, UK)
“Paper Tiger are making their way to the forefront of alternative hip hop… They carve themselves a niche in your music listening interest someway off from everyone else, and while at first that might make them seem like the socially awkward kid at the party, before long you see them as the aloof innovators everyone’s trying to be.” Shout4music.com http://www.shout4music.com/albums-eps/paper-tiger-laptop-suntan
“Laptop Suntan, sounding fresh, solid release! Really looking forward to seeing them play live and seeing where they take it from here!” Rita Maia (Resonance FM, UK)
“Paper Tiger are to hip hop what Buck 65 is to rap, something wicked and weird and wonderful not quite like anything else out there. All the potential for the typical posturing is either avoided or done so sarcastically that you can’t help but love it. It’s hip hop music that can charm people who don’t like hip hop. Becoming increasingly renowned for their live shows, they’ve now delivered with an album to do that reputation justice. Once it finishes, you’ll immediately reach for repeat.” Shlur.com http://www.shlur.com/paper-tiger-laptop-suntan-album-review/
“Anyone that produces a track entitled David Starkey – he’s a UK historian, by the way – deserves credit, but there’s more to this six-piece than cheeky references to an Oxbridge annalist.” commercial-break.biz
“A fresh sounding and original release” Glasswerk.co.uk
http://glasswerk.co.uk/magazine/review/10653/Paper+Tiger/
“Totally amazing release mate. One of the albums of 2013! Great work PT & WW45s!” Diesler (Tru Thoughts / Freestyle / Buried Treasure, UK)
“Some of the most beautiful, but danceable electronic music I’ve heard.” earmilk.com
“Nice to hear British beats as good as you’d get on Brainfeeder.” DJ Mag
“Man dope record!! Track with Homeboy is real real nice!!! Some sick tracks on there!” Paul White (One Handed, UK)
““Hadn’t heard Paper Tiger, really great.” Resonance FM
“Highlights the ability the group has to push a tune into the major leagues” Cyclicdefrost.com
“It’s rare to come across a six-piece “hip hop, space jazz, and bass-loving outfit,” but Leeds band Paper Tiger is exactly that. Laptop Suntan, the group’s upcoming full-length for Wah Wah 45s (out on on October 28, pictured above), makes use of a host of collaborators and MCs, so it’s not surprising that album cut “Air” is rife with possibility in the hands of the right remixer.” xlr8r.com
http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2013/10/air-sertone-remix
“Paper Tiger don’t remove listeners too far from their comfort zone, just slotting enough experimentation in to make the music their own.. The use of unusual percussion instruments and woodwind amongst typical electronic basslines provided a refreshing, uplifting tonic. Amongst a deluge of emerging electronic artists, there is an even greater need for a niche. This could be theirs.” thefourohfive.com
http://thefourohfive.com/review/article/p aper-tiger-laptop-suntan
“The Leeds based Paper Tiger combines the influences of Hip Hop, Jazz, and Electronic. It’s a familiar sound at first listen, leaning towards the likes of Rustie and Hudson Mohawke but in a band format as members utilize live drumming, samplers, keys, synths, bass and more. The live element adds that extra creative human flow which I believe trumps the many overly produced material in rotation.” deftune.com
http://www.deftune.com/2013/10/listen-paper-tigers-single-the-sting-feat-homeboy-sandman/
“Finally, they’ve released their full length album “Laptop Suntan”. Their laptops must have sunburn from all the heat that came out of it as this album leave no stone unturned in the electronic musical sense. Leftfield hip hop, electrofunk, spacey soul, dubstep, it’s all here but extremely cohesively. with a few guests including Homeboy Sandman and Sabira Jade. Cop now!” kevinnottingham.com
http://www.kevinnottingham.com/2013/11/10/paper-tiger-laptop-suntan/
“Laptop Suntan is their first album for London’s Wah Wah 45s, and brings together their years of experience – making music, but also touring and appearing alongside the likes of Rustie, Amon Tobin, Daedelus and more. Stones Throw’s Homeboy Sandman drops in on the chorus for ‘The Sting’ with its hilarious punchline, while a trio of British MCs (including the slept-on Infinite Livez) team up on ‘David Starkey’ for a balls-out rap excursion that includes the rhyme “doing it for your nan like Ronan Keating / the whole of my house’s got central heating.””factmag.com
http://www.factmag.com/2013/11/13/and-this-one-time-the-best-bandcamp-releases-of-the-month-november-2013/8/
“Following on from their recent releases on Wah Wah 45s, the six-piece have found themselves highly sought-after, consequently working with a wealth of talent including Benin City’s Joshua Idehen, British rap superstars Foreign Beggars, leftfield U.S. trio Archie Pelago and, most recently, Stones Throw recording artist (and possibly the greatest MC out there right now) Homeboy Sandman. The latter’s collaboration with the band’s resident wordsmith, Raphael Attar, is just one highlight of Paper Tiger’s debut long-player, appropriately titled (for a crew who work as hard as these guys do) ‘Laptop Suntan’.” Rough-online.com
http://www.rough-online.com/article/1309-paper-tiger-laptop-suntan
“Taking electronic and synth-driven productions and adding a large dose of funk and London hip-hop swagger” theskinny.co.uk
http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/records/305985-paper_tiger_laptop_suntan
“Revered as both a live band and production outfit, Leeds space-melt six-piece Paper Tiger prepare for the release of new album ‘Laptop Suntan‘” ilikemusic
http://www.ilikemusic.com/post_playlist
“Drift’ is the album’s instrumental highlight, and ‘Make It Through’ crackles with the best vocal performance.” cyclicdefrost.com
http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/blog/2013/09/paper-tiger-laptop-suntan-wah-wah-45s/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cyclicdefrost+(Thermostat+-+Latest+from+Cyclic+Defrost)
“This is really good on first listen. So nice to hear an act develop over the years, which PT really have.” DJ Gilla (First Word, UK)
“Sparkling live future bass music. Paper Tiger manage to put together all that’s best about current electronic music together in one package. Intricate but punchy, weird but very wonderful.” Joe Muggs, Mixmag
“Really dope.” Alexander Nut (Eglo/Rinse FM)
“Nice form of entertainment perfect, the songs on this CD does not miss a beat. The aim is lucid and clear, the beats are hot and satisfying and “The Sting” is the shiny example of how electronica and hip hop can go together without stepping on each other’s feet.” Claudio Baroni (Musica Popolare, Italy)
“If Dilla grew up listening to bass music and LA Beat scene he would sound like this….. very dope!”DJ Pimpernel Jones (Herma Puma, First Word, UK)
“Amazing.” Gilles Peterson (BBC 6Music)
“Really excited about this.” Joe Goddard (Hot Chip/Greco Roman)
“the opening tune, Crossover, Expensive Samurai, Make it Through… there is some amazing pieces of music in this LP” Dandy Teru (Ubiquity, France)
“This is amazing. Really like this sound.” Nick Armitage (Droppin’ Science, UK)
“Vibin’ off the Paper Tiger stuff!” Phat Phil Cooper (Kat / Nu Northern Soul, UK)
“Isn’t it lovely? Wonderful, lovely stuff.” – Lauren Laverne (BBC 6Music)
“Paper Tiger is hilarious,fun to head nod to,and I love the rejection
on his ex-girlfriend on the track “The Sting”. That, and “We Made It” are some of my favorite tracks this year. Satire at it’s finest….” DJ Andy Williams (The Goods, Canada)
“I totally loved it!!” Quiroga (Really Swing, Italy)
“Love Paper Tiger, have been looking forward to hearing their album, doesn’t disappoint. Feeling Treasure Town, The Sting, Irresistible, Expensive Samurai and David Starkey. Really enjoyable listen from start to finish, loads of different styles, nice one.” Mike Shea (Kane FM, UK)
“Nice album from PAPER TIGER, some very intersting tunes for me… especially “The Sting” and “Make It Through” are my top favourites..I will feature this release in my next “Headz” Radio Show on Radio Z 95.8 Nuernberg/Germany.” Sven Thomschke / ‘Dr.Best’ (Radio Z, Germany)
“I love this album. Bit of everything in here, lovely, interesting and entertaining all the way through. Dope!” Mickey Duke (Code South, Brighton, UK)
“Some nice moments on the Paper Tiger LP too… the production is tight and some the instrumentals are heavy! especially liked Expensive Samurai and Gundam Bling” Dave Fortune (My First Moth Records, UK)
- Radio play from Nemone (BBC 6Music, UK);
- Tom Ravencroft (BBC 6Music, UK);
- Andrew Jervis (Bandcamp Weekly);
- Phil Levene (Back2Back FM, UK);
- Radio Z 95.8 (Germany);
- Higher Street (Spain);
- Josef Sedlon (Radio 1, Czech Republic);
- David Bassin, FreeFall Radio, KUSF (San Fransisco, USA);
- PBS106.7FM (Victoria, Australia);
- Rita Maia, Resonance FM (UK)
