THE ASTHMATIX – GO TEAM GO EP

Perhaps one of the most left-field releases to come out of the Sydney music scene this year, Go Team Go is the first release from the self confessed Jewish hip-hop quintet The Asthmatix. That last description may take a little time to digest however it’s true, The Asthmatics blend hip hop beats with Jewish folk melodies, samples of Jewish educational tapes and ’60s motivational speakers. The collective is a live  and instrumental hip-hop group comprised of a beat-maker, a DJ, a violinist and and keys/melodica player. The musicians themselves are all convincingly adept at playing their respective instruments, the instrumentation is absolutely superb in parts, but the EP itself has more in common with Kid Koala’s beat mashing and cartoon cuts than anything boundary pushing such as their Sydney hip-hop counterparts Hermitude. It’s fun and it’s definitely unique however don’t expect it to last too long after the novelty wears off.

**1/2