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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, June 8, 2007

ISLAND SOUNDS
A little hip-hop, iNTREPID-style

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

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"Dreamcatcher" by iNTREPID; SoulKitchen Records

  • Genre: Hip-hop with edge.

  • Distinguishing notes: Jonathan Clarke Sypert is a performing hyphenate — singer, composer, lyricist, actor, dancer, moodster. This compilation of his originals doesn't fit conventional molds; it puts Sypert in the stance of his iNTREPID role as creator-performer of a circus for the ears.

    This is a three-ring wonderment of words, visions and tempos. There are no safety nets, no animals, but plenty of imaginative and insistent raps and tales for grooving and even chilling. Plus fascinating sound effects and anecdotal rants, like a movie short waiting to be born.

    "This Track" sets the mood, part reflection, part perception, with bounce. "Tonight" is a river of words and thoughts, at a pace that is both rap and rhythm, with rubber-band pliability. Curiosity and intensity prevail on a couple of other cuts that embrace imagined and experienced vignettes, boasting passion, precision and perception. Go to www.myspace.com/soulkitchenrecords for lyrics; you'll them need to fully appreciate and dissect Sypert/iNTREPID's intentions. He speaks a language that is robust and right-on in "Dreamcatcher," with child voices inserted for a reality-bending element; it's like finding your inner soul and yes, even childhood.

  • Our take: iNTREPID, like his name, is fearless — breaking down barriers and creating his own soundscape.

    Sample song: "This Track" by iNTREPID

    "Maui to Miller Street" by Michael Conlan; Maui Blues Records

  • Genre: Blues.

  • Distinguishing notes: Michael Conlan is an Island-born singer-composer who has lived on Maui, in California and in Honolulu. This CD is an odyssey of sorts, tracking the flavors he sampled growing up in the flower-power era of the 1960s, when Brits and Americans topped the charts; soaking up the blues of Los Angeles in the 1970s; returning to his Maui roots in the '80s; then migrating back to California in the mid-'80s.

    A vintage family photo of the singer, with his grandparents and sister on Miller Street, circa 1952, explains the title — that's the street in the capital district, extending to Punchbowl, where he once lived. Musically, this is eloquent blues in a pop vein, with reflections on growing up, friendship, family and love.

    The opening track, "Local Boy," is a declaration of his 'aina — sort of a calling card about where his roots are — and subsequent tunes, both vocals and instrumentals, provide snapshots of his recent and distant past. "Rock My Blues Away" is a solid declaration of where his heart is, musically speaking. And "Waves" (with sounds of the lapping surf) explores Conlan's mana'o while — what else? — surfing. What the CD lacks is some data on where Conlan has been, with lyrics that might explain his wandering life. His Web site (www.michaelconlan.com) fills in some blanks.

  • Our take: While appeal may be limited, it's always nice to discover a new voice on the horizon.

    Sample song: "Local Boy" by Michael Conlan

    "Gems Along the Way" by Lloyd Longakit; L&L Morning Star Records

  • Genre: World music, guitar instrumentals.

  • Distinguishing notes: Lloyd Longakit is a Big Islander who is the dad of Loeka and Pomai Longakit, who are recording and concert artists in their own rights. This acoustic compilations, including wordless versions of tunes his son and daughter earlier recorded ("A'ama Crab," "The One They Call Hawai'i"), has mood shifts: religious ("Jesus You Are the Answer"), blues ("Groove With You") and romantic ("Pomaika'i Ku'uipo Aloha").

  • Our take: A "gem" of a listen, but that cross depiction on the CD cover may misidentify the disc as a praise-accented entity; it's not.

    Sample song: "Jesus You Are The Answer" by Lloyd Longakit

    Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.