Despite being a relative unknown, Silent Eclipse – real name Darren James – is a true old-timer in UK hip-hop. His first impression on the scene was in 1991 as MC D with “How Many Miles” and as Two Times Def with “First & Last”, both on Mendoza Records:
Fast-forward just one year to 1992, and the Silent Eclipse persona was born, dropping two standout singles “Take The Stage” and “Bad Boy Buckeroo”:
James steady built up his career over a period of almost two decades, notching up several guest appearances, production credits, DJ ventures, and three studio albums, but it is his 1995 LP venture Psychological Enslavement – as Silent Eclipse – that remains his most notable work to date.
Unashamedly political (peep “Best at Slavery” to hear Silent Eclipse threaten to remove all the African animals from London Zoo, and calling the Queen Mother “a slutbag”), pretty much every track on Psychological Enslavement tackles issues such as racism and inequality with aplomb.
If you’re a fan of PE, X-Clan, early Ice Cube and the likes, then Psychological Enslavement will add a nice British twist to what you already know and love. Unfortunately, it’s perpetually out of print, so you know the drill…
