Review Summary: Femme fatale MC combines bizarre subject matter with skilful flow and creates the best female hip-hop album since Missy Elliot’s “Under Construction”.
Just in case you were wondering whom you were listening to, Romy Hoffman aka Macromantics reminds you on opening track “Miss Macro”. “Welcome to a world where every word chases flirtatious further estuation to gain a first-name basis”. Making sense? No, not really. Enjoyable? Highly.
In essence, that’s what this record is- much in the vein of Australian hip-hop artists like TZU, Hoffman is serious and sincere enough about her art to avoid being tagged a novelty, yet still fun (and occasionally silly) enough to not be taken deadly seriously in context. This happy medium, very popular with listeners of Australian hip-hop, seems to be relayed and put into practice on “Eerily Spookily” with lines like “I’m not playing…well, maybe with scissors and knives I am”.
What else is notable about her work is how she can lyrically do wonders like flawlessly name checking and referencing author Lemony Snicket, actress Melanie Griffiths and Santa Claus in the time bracket of twenty seconds. Elsewhere on the album, she goes from referencing the town of Dallas to referencing spontaneous combustion; from Black Sabbath to diarrhoea; from phantom limbs to daisy petals. Truly random stuff on her behalf.
But it’s not gratuitous- it’s truly clever and interesting listening to fans of darker, experimental hip-hop like MF Doom and Sage Francis; who, as it happens, guests on the strongest track on the album, “Locksmith”. In the vein of songs like Radiohead’s disturbing “Fitter Happier” from the classic OK Computer, the track puts to use a voice synthesiser in its chorus- “I feel a little apprehensive talking to you about my life with my own voice. Although, I think people will relate and understand”. In turn, both Francis and Hoffman talk about growing up and hardships they went through. Francis tells a disturbing story of his psychotic stalker father; Miss Macro talks about growing up in South Africa, before moving to Australia. Naturally, the flow is strong; the boom-chish beat, provided by Joker 70, is damn near perfect. It’s just what the doctor ordered, in regards to what she is capable of as a serious MC. No jokey lines on this track, just straight-up hip-hop with a dark twist.
Hoffman seems to work well as a collaborator. She was lead guitarist in Ben Lee’s band Noise Addict before Ben was Ben-the-ARIA-award-winning-veteran-at-28. Matter of fact, she was fourteen when she joined. Whilst touring the states, Ben gave her a Bikini Kill CD and she discovered hip-hop. If this wasn’t diverse enough, she also has a track on this record where her backing band is Melbourne alternative-blues rockers the Ground Components (who also released their debut in 2006 An Eye For A Brow, A Tooth For A Pick). It’s a highly worthwhile experiment, as the two mix like an Aussie/indie take on Run DMC and Aerosmith; and it’s another highlight of this album.
Given, sometimes her rhyming can become a little too random (from recollection, there’s a lyric along the line of “*** Santa Claus”) and her voice, despite having great originality and authenticity, can occasionally grate. Despite this, Moments In Movement is a strong, dark, experimental and at times philosophical record. Listen in if you like your hip-hop left of centre and unusual.
