Black Magic (Swollen Members album)
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| Black Magic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 12, 2006 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 1:08:21 | |||
| Label | Battle Axe Records | |||
| Producer |
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| Swollen Members chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Black Magic | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllHipHop |   [1] |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Exclaim! | (favorable)[3] |
| musicOMH | [4] |
| Now |   [5] |
| PopMatters | [6] |
| RapReviews | [7] |
Black Magic is the fifth studio album by Canadian hip-hop group Swollen Members. It was released on September 12, 2006, through Battle Axe Records with distribution via TVT Records.
Recording sessions took place at Battle Axe Studios and The Warehouse in Vancouver, Crack Alley Studios in Los Angeles, Mr Vegas Studio in Kingston, Soundproof West in Venice, Westlake Audio in Hollywood, and various hotel rooms across America.[2]
Production was handled by members Rob The Viking, Madchild and Prevail, as well as Evidence, DJ Kemo, Alchemist, Double Dragon, Squeak E. Clean and Vago, with co-producers Roger Swan, Metty The Dert Merchant and The Corn Gang.
It features guest appearances from Evidence, Alchemist, Barbie Hatch, Casual, Everlast, Ghostface Killah, Mr. Vegas, Phil Da Agony, Planet Asia, Sick Jacken, DJ Revolution, DJ Babu, DJ Swamp, and former member Moka Only, who contributed on two songs.
The album peaked at number 22 in Canada, number 21 on the US Billboard Independent Albums and number 19 on the Heatseekers Albums charts. At the Juno Awards of 2007, the album won Rap Recording of the Year.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" |
|
| 0:40 |
| 2. | "Blackout" |
|
| 1:47 |
| 3. | "Swamp Water" (featuring Phil Da Agony, Planet Asia and DJ Revolution) | Evidence | 3:35 | |
| 4. | "Pressure" |
|
| 3:23 |
| 5. | "Press Forward" |
|
| 0:28 |
| 6. | "Grind" |
| Rob The Viking | 3:14 |
| 7. | "Torture" (featuring Casual and DJ Revolution) |
| Rob The Viking | 3:37 |
| 8. | "So Deadly" (featuring Evidence) |
| Evidence | 3:58 |
| 9. | "Weight" (featuring Ghostface Killah and The Alchemist) |
| The Alchemist | 3:47 |
| 10. | "Prisoner of Doom" |
|
| 4:12 |
| 11. | "Heart" |
| Rob The Viking | 3:06 |
| 12. | "Too Hot" (featuring DJ Babu) |
| Rob The Viking | 3:33 |
| 13. | "Dark Clouds" (featuring Evidence) |
| Evidence | 4:55 |
| 14. | "Ritual" | Chris Gestrin | 0:37 | |
| 15. | "Massacre" |
|
| 3:41 |
| 16. | "Go to Sleep" (featuring Barbie Hatch) |
|
| 4:32 |
| 17. | "Sinister" (featuring Sick Jacken) |
|
| 4:19 |
| 18. | "Dynamite" (featuring Mr. Vegas) |
|
| 3:03 |
| 19. | "Put Me On" (featuring Everlast) |
| Evidence | 4:05 |
| 20. | "Black Magic" (featuring DJ Swamp) |
| Rob The Viking | 3:58 |
| 21. | "Brothers" |
| Double Dragon | 3:51 |
| Total length: | 1:08:21 | |||
Personnel
- Shane "Madchild" Bunting — vocals (tracks: 1–13, 15–21), producer (tracks: 1, 5), executive producer
- Kiley "Prevail" Hendriks — vocals (tracks: 2, 4–7, 9–12, 15–21), producer (track 5)
- Daniel "Moka Only" Denton — vocals (tracks: 6, 19)
- Robin "Rob The Viking" Hooper — drums (track 17), producer (tracks: 1, 2, 5–7, 10–12, 15, 17, 20), co-producer (track 4), recording (tracks: 1–7, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 20), mixing (track 5)
- Jason "Phil Da Agony" Smith — vocals (track 3)
- Jason "Planet Asia" Green — vocals (track 3)
- Jonathan "Casual" Owens — vocals (track 7)
- Michael "Evidence" Perretta — vocals (tracks: 8, 13), producer & recording (tracks: 3, 8, 13, 19)
- Dennis "Ghostface Killah" Coles — vocals (track 9)
- Mia Harris — vocals (track 15)
- Barbie Hatch — vocals (track 16)
- Jack "Sick Jacken" Gonzalez — vocals (track 17)
- Clifford "Mr. Vegas" Smith — vocals & recording (track 18)
- Erik "Everlast" Schrody — vocals & guitar (track 19)
- Bryan "Metty The Dert Merchant" Trevitt — backing vocals (track 6), co-producer (track 10)
- Elmo Chong — backing vocals, strings, producer & recording (track 21)
- Roy Chong — backing vocals, strings, producer & recording (track 21)
- Chi Turner — backing vocals (track 21)
- Kurt "DJ Revolution" Hoffman — scratches (tracks: 3, 7, 13)
- Russ Kline — guitar (track 6)
- Darcy Ladret — guitar (track 8), bass (track 13)
- Bryant Olender — piano (tracks: 10, 15)
- Chris Gestrin — organ (track 10), mini moog (track 17)
- Kyla Tamiko "Kytami" LeBlanc — violin (tracks: 10, 15)
- Fin Manish — cello (tracks: 10, 15)
- Chris "DJ Babu" Oroc — scratches (track 12)
- Jeff Babko — Wurlitzer organ & clavinet (track 13)
- Kevin Coles — guitar (track 17)
- Keefus Ciancia — piano, bass & strings (track 19)
- Ronald K. "DJ Swamp" Keys Jr. — scratches (track 20)
- Cristian "DJ Kemo" Bahamonde — producer (tracks: 2, 4), co-producer (track 18)
- Alan "The Alchemist" Maman — producer & recording (track 9)
- Sam "Squeak E. Clean" Spiegel — producer & recording (track 16)
- D. "Vago" Orellana — producer (track 18)
- Roger Swan — co-producer (tracks: 10, 15, 17), recording (tracks: 10, 14, 15), mixing (tracks: 4, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17)
- The Corn Gang — co-producers (track 16)
- Richard "Segal" Huredia — mixing (tracks: 2, 3, 8, 9, 11–13, 16, 18–21)
- Jason Rankins — engineering assistant (tracks: 3, 8, 13, 20)
- Amy Worobec — engineering assistant (tracks: 4, 6)
- Mike Cashin — mixing assistant (tracks: 10, 15), engineering assistant (track 17)
- Dan Okano — mixing assistant (track 15)
- Sean Tallman — engineering assistant (track 19)
- Bernie Grundman — mastering
- Marcello De Cotiis — executive producer
- Chris Allen — art direction
- Mark Gainor — art direction
- Graham Winterbottom — sleeve photo
