Beyond Top Secret Interview and Last Train To Hollywood Review
Allll aboard!!!
New England hip-hop group Beyond Top Secret release their latest full-length album, Last Train To Hollywood, in concert with their East and West coast headlining tour!!
Dropping March 6 and currently up for preorder, New England hip-hop group Beyond Top Secret are in their prime with their third full-length release, Last Train To Hollywood, a super mix of multi-genre beats and strong-as-steel lyrics that will put a chokehold on any haters who get in the way.
Last Train To Hollywood
Opening with horror movie vibes, alien buzzing, and a chest-knocking 808, Famous sets the tone and the style of the LP, as the trio rap about the ungrateful and the rich and the real-life struggles that plague the remainder of humanity. It's only fitting that DJ Docta Damnage, Freeze Martian, and DNaz rather be not of this world. Depths takes another stab at showing those who have not been introduced yet to their raw abilities, and altogether, with their intro All Aboard, listeners can get a very strong sense of what Beyond Top Secret is all about.Another sign of Beyond Top Secret's greatness is the level of eclecticism in their proceeding tracks, such as Non Compliant, which features a racing rock synth to solidify their sci-fi influence, or America, which pulls out a heavy rock riff for the martians to rap over. The horror-cinema theremin that stands out brings a classic dread to this already intense track. Feed The Machine has another very cool guitar loop that Damnage crafts into an unforgettable hip-hop beat. Omerda, featuring Bukshot, is one of just a couple of songs that have guest emcees. The other, 333, has previous Beyond Top Secret member Xplizt on the verse.
We R takes a cathedral-like choral singer and mixes her into a deadly trap and 808 beat as they chant their own mantra, "I'm a-I'm a-I'm a martian," and then "we are-we are-we are martians." Chop A Body, the first single to get the music video treatment in the coming months, is a dark and menacing tune that executes their horrorcore vibe with razor-sharp precision, while 333, as mentioned earlier, brings the original member Xplizt back for a celestial and cosmic rap exercise; its a treat to hear the original members firing on all cylinders as they trade verses back and forth here.
Modern Angels dives into heavy metal riffs and mixes the nu-metal style with Beyond Top Secret's flow, complete with DJ Docta Damnage's cuts and scratches. The final track, Baddest In The Room, fills the air once more with the venom that Beyond Top Secret is known to spit, for a lurid, ominous, and strong finish.
Last Train To Hollywood is full of tracks that can completely wreck weak-minded emcees, but we also have the opportunity to hear it from the group themselves in our exclusive interview!
Let's hear a bit of what the Martians have to say...
Beyond Top Secret Interview
AirdriftSignals: Hey guys, how's it going?
DNaz: Awsome man Things have never been looking better for Beyond Top Secret than right now.
AirSig: 2020 is a new year, a new decade, and you guys seem to be hitting it off right with a new tour this Spring, is that right?
Freeze Martian: Yes sir. We kicked off our string of shows on February 22nd in Jewett City, CT with Apathy of (AOTP) & (Demi Godz). Then we pick back up the following week on The Beast To Blessed Tour.
DNaz: Maaan I can't tell you how exciting it is to be starting off the new year with a tour through the East coast. It sets the tone for the mission were on. We are more than ready to come full force.
AirSig: That's awesome! And from what I understand, you also have a new lineup change as well. Who’s in this time around, and could you give us an introduction for the uninitiated?
Freeze Martian: We released 2 full-length albums in 2014 & 2019 with Xplizt, a female emcee from Connecticut, as well. Now we are back and re-vamped the group into a much more solid force and cohesive unit. That's no disrespect to Xplizt at all. The fact is, if all members of a group don't share the same passion & drive as the others then the whole ship fails. It was a mutual decision and we decided the best direction for the group would be to continue on with DNaz alongside me for future releases and performances. We wish her the best of luck in everything she does in her life and career.
AirSig: Your drop on New Year's Eve, the introductory song “From The Depths”, is off a brand new album coming out that you’re touring for in support of. Can you guys tell us a little bit about your marketing philosophy for taking your group to a higher level?
Freeze Martian: I released my first 2 solo albums of my career with Detroit based Hip-Hop label Long Range Distribution. Since then, I've released multiple albums and group projects on my own independent label Mercy Counts Records. As a national touring artist, it's a little easier for me as opposed to a local artist, but the struggles are all the same. We push music videos and market our music to an underground audience. I feel the music we are making has potential to reach millions and that's something we continue to strive towards daily. Our merchandise does very well, to the point where people purchase our shirts and hoodies even if they are not familiar with the group. They just love the Martian logo. But, in all honesty, the strategies and business tools we are implementing for this release are more thorough than ever before. That I can say as fact!
DNaz: During the making of Last Train To Hollywood, we have come across many new ideas and potential ways of promoting music. There is nothing but opportunity in the future. The only thing we need to make an impact is hunger, and that's exactly what we are, hungry. We are crawling "From The Depths" to prove a point in this business. There is a lot of magic brewing in the cauldron after the release of this album.
AirSig: Nice! And your new album Last Train To Hollywood... How is this release different from your last, Destroy and Rebuild, besides the obvious?
AirSig: Your drop on New Year's Eve, the introductory song “From The Depths”, is off a brand new album coming out that you’re touring for in support of. Can you guys tell us a little bit about your marketing philosophy for taking your group to a higher level?
Freeze Martian: I released my first 2 solo albums of my career with Detroit based Hip-Hop label Long Range Distribution. Since then, I've released multiple albums and group projects on my own independent label Mercy Counts Records. As a national touring artist, it's a little easier for me as opposed to a local artist, but the struggles are all the same. We push music videos and market our music to an underground audience. I feel the music we are making has potential to reach millions and that's something we continue to strive towards daily. Our merchandise does very well, to the point where people purchase our shirts and hoodies even if they are not familiar with the group. They just love the Martian logo. But, in all honesty, the strategies and business tools we are implementing for this release are more thorough than ever before. That I can say as fact!DNaz: During the making of Last Train To Hollywood, we have come across many new ideas and potential ways of promoting music. There is nothing but opportunity in the future. The only thing we need to make an impact is hunger, and that's exactly what we are, hungry. We are crawling "From The Depths" to prove a point in this business. There is a lot of magic brewing in the cauldron after the release of this album.
AirSig: Nice! And your new album Last Train To Hollywood... How is this release different from your last, Destroy and Rebuild, besides the obvious?
Freeze Martian: All of our albums are concept albums. So each album represents a different perspective of life or theme. Our first release "Cut The Power" was about abuse of power. Obviously being related to world issues, corruption and also the abusiveness and injustices of the music business. The last album "Destroy & Rebuild" was like a double edge sword. It was about the after effects of the themes represented on the first release. A system becomes corrupt... Now it must be destroyed in order to build something better. The songs dive into the occult and had a very dark theme a lot of the time. The whole momentum of the album as a whole is very slow. It has it's strong points and I love it for what it is completely. But, coming into this next album, I can say that not only has the story in this Beyond Top Secret universe evolved, its story is becoming more interesting. Almost naturally lol. This is the ultimate journey on the path to what everybody strives for in their own lives... Personal success. Last Train To Hollywood says it all. It's the last dance, last chance... Last Hoorah! For us music will never die. But this is where this particular story comes to an end. So I guess we'll have to wait to see what's next in the book of life for Beyond Top Secret.
AirSig: As for DJ Docta Damnage and Freeze, is there anything new that you two took to the table when was time to produce the music of this LP?
AirSig: As for DJ Docta Damnage and Freeze, is there anything new that you two took to the table when was time to produce the music of this LP? Freeze Martian: We always try to be better than we were before and I think we do that very well. Every record we do sounds completely different than the one before it and they always evolve. We tapped into so many different influences and genres while making this latest record. There's a lot of rock influence on some of the songs we brought to the table on this and I don't think our approach was unauthentic or corny at all lol. But we also upped our game when it comes to the delivery on some of the more hip-hop tracks. There's something for everyone here for sure!
AirSig: Yeah, I heard the rock influences. Very well-done! As a hip-hop group, you will all get that larger combined following, talent, and opportunities. What’s it like pulling off these feats as a team?
AirSig: Yeah, I heard the rock influences. Very well-done! As a hip-hop group, you will all get that larger combined following, talent, and opportunities. What’s it like pulling off these feats as a team?
Freeze Martian: It's actually easier to operate as a group when everyone is on the same page. 2 minds are always better than one.
DNaz: There is so much motivation in the group. There's no room for slack at Mercy Counts. With all the talent and determination at hand, it feels there is nothing that can stand in our way.
AirSig: Are there any hip-hop groups or artists that specifically come to mind that have influenced you through your formation and evolution?
AirSig: Are there any hip-hop groups or artists that specifically come to mind that have influenced you through your formation and evolution?
Freeze Martian: Good songwriting as a whole inspires me. But, I've been making music so long that I can't really say any specific artist had inspired me more than any other. I use real life experiences and feelings to express myself in my music. It's not really something I can achieve trying to imitate anybody else specifically.
DNaz: We all make music coming from the experiences that make us. We have a chemistry that influences each other and that will keep us growing as a group.
AirSig: Stylistically, you have a hardcore rap vibe going for you, but are there any other stylistic hip-hop elements or choices that you made for this release as opposed to previous releases?
DNaz: We all make music coming from the experiences that make us. We have a chemistry that influences each other and that will keep us growing as a group.
AirSig: Stylistically, you have a hardcore rap vibe going for you, but are there any other stylistic hip-hop elements or choices that you made for this release as opposed to previous releases?
Freeze Martian: Like I said before, we definitely blended a lot of styles on this album. There's rock, obviously a strong hip-hop influence, but we also tapped into certain punk rock elements and even new age alternative. It's definitely the most diverse album I have ever been a part of.
DNaz: This album brings a lot of genres of music into play, with our own twist of course. There's a new sound coming that cannot be generalized with other music, and we can't wait to bring it.
AirSig: Besides the Beast to Blessed Tour, are there any other shows, music videos, or projects you have planned for 2020?
Freeze Martian: We will be releasing a music video for the song Chop A Body off the new release. Anybody that has watched one of my videos in the past knows that we always aim to please visually lol. A lot are horror themed or science fiction related and that always makes for a fun watch. We're bringing our A-Game on this next one coming out in April.
DNaz: This album brings a lot of genres of music into play, with our own twist of course. There's a new sound coming that cannot be generalized with other music, and we can't wait to bring it.
AirSig: Besides the Beast to Blessed Tour, are there any other shows, music videos, or projects you have planned for 2020?
Freeze Martian: We will be releasing a music video for the song Chop A Body off the new release. Anybody that has watched one of my videos in the past knows that we always aim to please visually lol. A lot are horror themed or science fiction related and that always makes for a fun watch. We're bringing our A-Game on this next one coming out in April.
Check out Beyond Top Secret on the Beast to Blessed Tour with Full Blast Booking this March! Listen to Last Train To Hollywood by preordering or streaming on March 6!
Last Train To Hollywood
Recommended Tracks: Non Compliant, We R, 333
