POLO CLUB
The 13
(Independent/Amphead)
LUKE MCKINNON
The Melbourne duo of MC/Producer Urban Monk and producer Camelot the Chameleon have pioneered a new style of avant-garde hip hop on their debut release The 13. The album shirks the production trends that defined early millennium hip hop. Gone – but not forgotten – is the industry’s reliance on sampling, and being ushered in is a sound that is inspired by original composition, interspersed with traditional hip hop methodology and computer knowhow.
The 13 begins with ‘Turn That Console Off’ – an altogether unnecessary introduction that neither sets the album up nor furthers it in any way. A more appropriate starting point would have been ‘Ego (So Drastic)’. This synthesiser-fuelled, electro driven offering allows the listener to adjust to Chameleon’s production style and demonstrates Urban Monk’s lyrical ability as he rhymes effortlessly with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.
‘Nothing Wrong’ proves that Polo Club aren’t adverse to straight up hip hop tracks. Monk’s rapid flow is matched with a traditional kick-snare beat, heavy bassline and underpinning guitar riff – clever sampling however, gives the track a unique Polo Club spin. ‘A New Sky’ is a cover of The Presets track of the same name in a bold move which undoubtedly bastardises the original. ‘Million $’ on the other hand is an album standout, its simplicity a highlight. Laced with an insatiably catchy hook and cruisey harpsichord production, Monk slows his rhyming down perfectly for this satirical ode to consumerism. 
The 13 challenges the listener’s perception of what hip hop should sound like. At times it severely misses the mark, but when these young lads do get tracks right, you can’t help thinking, that in the coming years, this young duo will take the scene in a bold, exciting new direction.