Firstly, this is a free download (got to love free music for you to taste).

Right, with that out of the way, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. I’ll come right out and say that I’m no Hip Hop expert, but I know what I like, and I LIKE this.

Recon is Sunshine Coast-proud. A lot of his rhymes feature nods to his home and the way of life we all appreciate here on the Sunshine Coast.

A former member of Coast group, Evenbreak, Recon has gone out on his own with The Beatnik EP, and wants you to pay attention.

The first track, ‘One Wish’ has a deep groove, with light Motownish guitar lightly sharp-strumming in the background. The drums are jazzy but big, but this has a very cruisey-vibe to it. However, the melody in the background was vaguely familiar, and took a few listens for it to sink in. It actually sounds like the Eve/Gwen Steffani collaboration, ‘Blow Your Mind’. Whether this is intentional or not, it’s still very clever.

‘Bulletproof’ is a hard one to pin down. There’s a very 90’s-ish synth vibe to this one (it does say that it is a remix though, but would like to hear the original if this is the case). It’s a slow-burner of a song, which grows on you after a few listens. This track is very trancy when listening to it through headphones.

The vibe on ‘We’ll See’ picks up though. A very party-friendly song with bouncing beats, and an overall faster pace.

The shortest track on the EP, ‘Float On’ is THE drinking song on the album. Grab a Corona, your significant other, head out on the back deck/patio, crank this track, and it will make sense. It’s very smooth sounding, with mid-paced beat, the bass sitting into a tight groove, and the rhymes that talk about good-times.

The last track, ‘Next In Line’ is the stand-out track of the EP. A nice fat groove with trippy bottle clicks in the background, and the spacey sing-along chorus, make this the song that remains in your head.

Overall, Recon has given us a slickly-produced example of Sunshine Coast Hip Hop talent, and though not as fast-paced and eclectic as say, The Outlook’s material, this is more of a party EP, and given that it’s a free download, you get even more value out of it.

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