Here’s another genre to add to the list – Prog Hop. As forbearers of the new movement, The Elementalists show that it’s still a work in progress.

Fusing together sections of hip hop and prog (if you couldn’t guess), The Elementalists manage to create an E.P that slides between good, and sub-standard. The delivery and message from Elmo’s hip hop vocals is worth a listen, but the accompanying work on the decks by KRL can often punch below it’s weight. Whether this is due to the production quality is unsure, but on early efforts here, it can often be lost within the reams of sound.

As Talk To The Hand rolls along with Elmo barking out: “You can’t go on pulling punches and doing time”, the meaty delivery from the decks just doesn’t quite get there. It undermines some incredibly powerful, psychedelic group singing as the instantly addictive line of “Talk to the hand, cause the face aint listening!” rifles out.

An indefinite rhythm from the days of experimentation en masse with rock and rap is in control in various places, often sparking off imagery of artists such as Rage Against The Machine and early Incubus’ styles as swagger and musical meltdowns tumble around the listener.

This vein continues in Bad Times, with a slightly off-kilter beat provides the chorus with another interesting hook, before the spaced out prog really kicks in for the final leg. The fluid style of the group does tip toward them being a good band to see live, especially during the forthcoming summer season. Whilst maybe not quite suiting the headlining slot just yet, they could provide a vital component on getting the good vibes going for the day ahead.

Word To The Wise is a great example; especially with its chorus of “If you don’t give a fuck about anyone/Why should anyone give a fuck about you?” as a Californian surf vibe rides in alongside the funk soul groove. It’s undoubtedly a live circuit favourite, with fans and drunken louts given opportunity to spout out the easily deciphered obscenities.

It’s not sweetness and light all the way though. Rotten Majority and title track Crazed Maniac focus on darker moments of life, with the former providing an encapsulating story about Lucy the nurse, racists and “apathetic wasters”. It’s a considerable highlight, especially when followed up by …Maniac, with rhythms of irrational fear and paranoia rife throughout.

Following this is a tough challenge, and Pills does fall short of the mark. Even with a funky, hip-thrusting finale, lines about Mother Nature and pills (“I feel much better/I feel ok/So take those pills away” feels contrived) provide a disappointing addition.

The negativity is cleared from the system in no time at all though, as the samples used to glorious effect by KRL spark the bluesy number into life. Culminating in a well-due meltdown of mighty prog-like proportions, it provides a fitting finale to an E.P that offers a lot, but gets caught up on its own ambition.

By no means is this a bad selection, as it’s worth keeping an eye on their stock. If they can sort out a few minor gripes, then the nation will have another buzz word to learn.