betta start my thingy aye!
here's a link to my mp3's
http://www.mp3.com.au/TRILLION/

here's a link to my site

[ http://trillion.webcatalogue.biz ]

AT A LUCID END
is finally being released
in your stores next week
go ask for it.

also new-look website is up

thanks.

[ http://trillion.webcatalogue.biz/ ]

REVIEW: http://www.thepackage.co.nz/?p=web/article/526
Tired of chest beating shout outs? Cartoon emcess dribbling clichés on your shoes?
Then put down your bling and listen close. The Tounge Examination gig, held at creation
on Saturday 17th, demonstrated New-Zillund hip hop the way it was meant to be, natural
accent style.
While billion is the number of the moment, Trillion and guests kick off the performances
for the night to an eager crowd. Jody Loyd and an energetic band stepped up and
convincingly delivered, a spiral of memorable, convoluted trip-hopera, turntable trickery,
sparkling melodies and assertive attitude, telling insightful bittersweet tales, voiced in a
smooth array of summer. The band translate tunes from Jody's impressively produced
solo album "At a Lucid End" into the live setting extremely well, adding another dimension
to the trillion enigma. Big things indeed, it would seem a new album is around the corner.
An enthusiastic Reason hailing from the shores of Australia, solidly rapped over a set of
hard bouncy beats, handed out free music to happy punters, and even stopped to
comment on the pleasure of performing in a smokeless environment. Look out for the new
album "One Step Ahead".
Hold onto your baggy trousers. we know somebody, Dark Tower. Jody Lloyd and Eli Foley
joined tonight by Billy Wilson (Wellington) exercised their verbal gymnastics, revealing phat
pearls of lyrical wisdom, Dropped over huge produced beats, openly expressed natural
accent style and told messages with substance. Do yourself a favor and get your head
checked by Dark Tower. Keep it fake.

LIAM (the package)

http://www.listener.co.nz/default,2283.sm
(from this weeks listener - 18th July)

finally someone who understands,
I couldn't ask for a better review!
thank you Nick Bollinger //

THIS WORLD AND THE SADVIPRA DIVERSION, Trillion (She'll Be Right).

BEFORE the recent consensus that Kiwi music has come of age, Jody Lloyd was already making hip-hop with a proud Kiwi accent. As part of Dark Tower, he delivered broadsides that could be both brutal and brilliantly funny, and always unmistakable in their New Zealandness. (His sampling of Fred Dagg's motto "Kick it in the guts, Trev" was just one memorable piece of appropriation.)

Since Dark Tower's demise, he has been going it alone under the banner of Trillion. Trillion's latest disc falls into two halves. This World is the first part and finds Lloyd combining the type of tough beats and vernacular rhymes that characterised Dark Tower's hip-hop with soaring pop melodies that might have come from some 60s songbook. Instrumentally, it's audacious, with trumpets, bouzoukis, violins and music-boxes weaving unpredictable paths through the guitars and drum programmes. There are gorgeous backing vocals and the usual apposite soundbites. Lyrically, it's Lloyd at his most personal and revealing, bewailing a love affair turned obsessive. At its best, these tracks are as hooky as "How Bizarre", as inventive as Beck circa Odelay, and more emotionally charged than either.

In the second half, the disc takes on a darker hue. Consisting of half-a-dozen songs, which Lloyd collectively calls The Sadvipra Diversion, it was begun after Lloyd hit a creative impasse while working on the initial set. Funnily, for a passionate advocate of locally flavoured lyrics, Lloyd's outlook in these latter songs tends to be global. In tracks like "Let Dogging Lies Sleep" and "Crawling Is Easy" he vents against war, consumerism and inter-national heads of state, to tough and at times chaotic beatscapes.

Though the gear change between the two halves is abrupt, Lloyd was ultimately wise to combine the projects. The folk-hop of the earlier tracks tempers the angry rants of the second half.

[ http://www.trillion.co.nz ]

Hey, are you guys The New Trillionaires now, and if so, when's your next gig?

thanks to all who came along to the gigs on tour - Blenheim, Takaka and Motueka.
thanks to the venues - especially Mussel Inn - what a great place!

praises to Rusty who lent me a turntable needle in Motueka - thanks bro, there's a cd in the mail for you!

Jody.

[ http://www.trillion.co.nz ]

review from ozhiphop.com

[NZ CD] Trillion – This World and The Sadvipra Diversion (Review by Chris Stead)

Trillion is, well, one in a trillion. The solo project of MC Jody Lloyd (formerly of Dark Tower) makes for an incredibly original and distinct sound. Chilling out in Christchurch carving out his own sub-branch of the hip-hop genre, his latest project sees him combining two halves of two different albums, This World and The Sadvipra Diversion – hence the title. And while there is no doubting that the final product of this union is an eclectic mix of chilled out, rooty hip-hop, it fits into such a defined musical niche it will no doubt go over the head of the genre’s core fans.

The first eight songs are lifted from the This World project and they are typically dominated by soft melodies and searing lyrics that work together to set your mind a sail on tripped out journeys into the outer realms of hip-hop. Songs like After the Noise, Morning and Night and the beautiful End of Daze are particularly affecting thanks to their stripped back, yet musically varied production. Trillion has quite an ear for catchy loops and strangely, you some times think of Crowded House amongst the raps and samples – odd, but cool. Indeed, the haunting Clouded Ways recalls Radiohead more than anything hip-hop related.

Whilst Trillion’s musical range proves to be an incredible strength on this album, in these opening songs it is the lyrics which are most affecting. In fact, many of the song’s lyrics have been published as poems and they fit snugly within his raspy, quiet rapping. This World and Tired typify this attribute and both make for great songs. It’s not all sweetness though, and occasionally songs feel a little too bland and are quickly forgotten, songs like Incomplete Rug. Also Onward Forward Downward suffers from a lack of oomph, both in the delivery of the raps and the bass, two areas where Trillion struggles when he heads into more traditional hip-hop territory.

The Sadvipra Diversion which completes the final six songs on the album offers quite a different perspective on the same vein of hip hop. Less introspective and more frustrated and malicious, it’s more politically charged than its predecessor and shares a closer relationship with the hip-hop genre. Let Dogging Lies Sleep is a fun if simplistic scratch-fest, while Confessions of a Mud-Guard offers some solid samples and the most rhythmic and enjoyable raps on the album. Indeed the second part of this album is far more accessible to ardent hip-hoppers, especially through the strange yet brilliant Forthearthand… and the sample heavy Lose a Show – You Lose Too.

Again it’s not all bliss, in particular Crawling is Easy (which segues from great hip-hop beats into a totally lame chorus you’d expect from Travis) is ill-judged musically, even if the lyrics offers some interesting bite. Despite the distinct directions provided by the two separate parts of this album, it works as a single unit. This is largely thanks to Trillion’s constant willingness to head beyond contemporary boundaries when defining a track’s sound and also his unique voice. When the album ends with the excellent Sing Hallelujah you will feel like you have experienced a journey as enjoyable as it is out-there.

Some of the tunes found on this album are simply stunning in their musical and lyrical beauty, as long as you’re willing to open up to them. This is an album of introspection and if you’re all about the bling, the hos, the bounce and cutting down your opposers with heavy-handed verbal and melodic blows then you will find this album a chore. But those without boundaries and keen to taste something original and fresh should be encouraged to give this a whirl.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Written By: Chris Stead

article/interview from oz.

Trillion(AKA Jody Lloyd of Dark Tower fame) and Billy Wilson are two love-'em
or hate-'em rapscallions from New Zealand. Lloyd is somewhat of a kiwi hip-hop
veteran who has been fending off claims that his left-field take on hip-hop isn't
true to the genre for around 13 years now. Wilson is his live-stage virgin who
was sacrificed in Sydney at "Back 2 Basics" only weeks ago. Billy's
a fluent rhyme-smith and far from being a new-jack, he just hasn't faced an audience
before this Australian tour. These two cheeky lads took time out of their working
holiday to answer ten quick questions for Ozhiphop.Com.

1. You both have a new record that's just recently been released. Can you
both tell us a little about each others record(not your own)?

TRILLION: I think Billy's album is really unique and groundbreaking. It covers
ground which hasn't been explored within the hip-hop genre in NZ and Australia.
Musically and lyrically it's very unique and diverse. Billy uses language which
doesnt normally appear in the hip-hop spectrum and a lot of his his flows are
also very unique and complex. Having produced it and watched it shape into
something from a beat and a rhyme to it's own identity and package is an exciting
thing. If i didn't think it was a worthwhile project i wouldnt have been involved.
It's actually brilliant.

BILLY WILSON: Load up 'The Gray Between Shadow And Shade' in your iPod to
follow after 'The Great Divide'. Sick. Trillion's new album follows up 1997's
hit record 'Shadows On A Flat Land' which is a collaborative effort with musicians
who are a part of Jody's life. Check out this guys repitoire. Sick. We are
lucky to have a guy like him in NZ. Oh yeah, the new record features the only
track in exsistence which is exclusively Darktower and Billy Wilson. Bloody
collectors item.

2. Part of the reason to come out to Australia was for Sound Summit. What
are your thoughts on the event and do you feel that it was helpful to you as
artists?

T: Yeah, I thought it was a good thing. Perhaps it would have been better
if there were more people attending. It is part of a festival encompassing
a lot of different things, perhaps this is slightly detrimental to it as there
are so many things on at the same time it becomes overwhelming and made me
feel like not going to anything. As an artist (or just a person) it was great
to meet other people. I met some really great people who i'm sure i will stay
in touch with for a long time.

BW: I really enjoyed the panel discussions. Lots of interesting people. It
was really good to meet people and I reckon that was very helpful as an artist.
Hopefully future relationships will be established as a result.

3. You both rap in NZ accents, something that is strangely rare for the New
Zealand hip-hop scene. Also, the music you make is somewhat different to the
majority of what is coming out of NZ. Are you accepted by the NZ hip-hop community
or would you consider yourselves as outcasts?

T: A few years ago Dark Tower were outcasts. We were never included in magazine
articles about the 'thriving NZ hip-hop scene' and we were never asked to perfrom
at things like the hip-hop summit, we were dissed on the radio shows and our
music videos were shunned. This has sort of all blown over. There are still
some who think we are completely wack, but generally I don't think they think
about us, they are so much into their own world that they don't even think
we are part of the NZ hip hop scene. I am not so much an outcast, rather I
purposely keep a fairly low profile as I don't really want to be associated
with such a lame, try-hard hip-hop scene.

BW: Im not sure that the NZ hip-hop scene knows I exist, and I'm not sure
what would be made of tracks like 'The Plunger' and 'Hand Cannon', which are
the two most 'hip-hop friendly' tracks on the album. I've read a few comments
from kiwi hip-hoppers on net forums in response to 'The Plunger', and they
consider the style not 'street' enough. Maybe a lot of people associate natural
kiwi accents with the cringworthy kiwi subject matter of gumboots and buzzybees.
'The Great Divide' doesnt go there so I'm not sure how it will be recieved.
I reckon if the writing is good and the flows are on point, a natural accent
only makes things better.

4. What are you trying to achieve with your music? Are you trying to subvert
the local culture or are you simply expressing yourselves naturally?

T: It would be great if there was a supportive natural accent and non-ego
driven hip-hop scene in NZ. If what I do encourages to build something like
this then that's cool, but generally what I do is simply self-expression. I
really like making music and words, so it's what I choose to do with most of
my time. If others like it then I'm doing my job well.

BW: With few exceptions, rappers communicate within the space of hip-hop culture.
Within this space exsists a whole system of langauge which is native to this
culture. For some people this space has become very claustrophobic as the meanings
of words in the language are taken for granted and the same things are said
over and over

again with minute variations. I think this endless repetion has caused some
rappers to do two things, one is to shake the language up a bit and re-order
it, often subverting it, the other is to step outside the space of hip-hop
altogether and occupy a different one. I reckon stepping outside actually informs
the space of hip-hop and breathes new life into it, and a more natural expression
comes out. For many though, rap ceases to be of any interest once it steps
too far outside hip-hop culture. To an extent 'The Great Divide' does both
these things. Hip-hop culture has been a huge influence on what I do, but it
is not the only one, so it is natural that my creative output will occupy other
spaces.

5. As artists/musicians, how does your experience in NZ compare to your experience
in Oz? What are some of your observations?

T: It's hard to approach it from such a simple comparison. I prefer to perform
in Australia. I feel I'm not being judged so hard, which makes performing easier
- less self concious, etc.

BW: We have been celebrated by the Australian hip-hop community here because
I think that New Zealand has been seen as a dried up vein for rap music with
less of an American slant. People in Oz seem overjoyed that we are doing what
we do, the fact that it's really quite good helps a lot too. (laughs) Maybe
In NZ our audience is not the hip-hop community, but everyone else. These people
are our hip-hop community.

6. Tell us a little about the tour and how it's gone down so far.
What are the highlights and lowlights? What's the funniest and worst experiences
from
the tour up until today?

T: The tour has gone as good as a first tour could go i think. People have
generally been really supportive. It's never really a good feeling when people
leave halfway through a set. But then if people arent enjoying themselves they
shouldnt be there as this would just bring a bad vibe to the gig. The worst
things for me have been carrying really heavy gear and not having enough money
to catch taxis.

BW: The lows I reckon are realising mid performance that maybe that verse
was a bit too much of a mouthful to put with that tempo. The highs are the
interviews, and performing 'Hand Cannon' live with Proffessor Lloyd.

7. Tell us about your hook up with Obese. You are distributed by those
guys now, how'd that come about?

T: We met Reason when he came over to NZ a while back. I actually organised
a gig in Christchurch which he perfromed at. We stayed in touch and I decided
to have a trip over to Melbourne in January this year. I met Pegz through Reason
and he offered a distro deal. Obese has a strong natural accent vibe and being
the only of our kind in NZ of course they wanted to be involved.

8. Somehow I feel that artists such as yourselves may be able to sustain a
music career and have a greater opportunity to be successful with your music
in Australia compared to your homeland. Do you think we'll be seeing you back
here again any time soon?

T: Yes - probably. I've been working on music for some local hip-hop acts
and have been asked to guest on a few tracks too. So it's all looking good
here!

BW: The nature of my return will be determined by future material. I have
little idea what form the next project will take. Whatever it is will determine
audience and venue...

9. There's two shows left, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. Are we likely
to see Trillion and Billy Wilson go out with a bang?

BW: Fuck i hope so. These are perhaps our two most important shows. We are
at a point now where we know what has be working live and what hasnt. with
a few adjustments things should work out rather well.

T: Yeah, because this is our first tour together we are just getting the hang
of things. We keep having new ideas to make the shows more interesting. Songs
that we think aren't working are getting ditched and because we're not trying
to impress chicks (we are too old) or be macho, it makes it easier to get loose
with no baggage. We're just having fun, and if it's not fun then I'm not really
interested.

10. You've be given an assignment to design a custom postcard to send home
to your friends, family, and your peers. What does it look like?

T: It's of a scene from Newcastle. On one half there is a croud of arty, hippy
bohemians getting jiggy to electro noise, a zine and comic stall and psychedelic
video projections. On the other half is the local town people trying to be
involved with a crap local high school art stall, lame circus rides, a childrens
cheerleaders competition and an outdoor night movie - The Sound Of Music. The
phrase on front reads "Shit can't pose as art very well."

BW: Me and Jody dressed up as Big Owl and MC Yellow Breasted Warbler. TA-WIT
TA-WOOOO!!!

Jody Lloyd's new Trillion album "The Gray Between Shadow And Shade" and
Billy Wilson's debut album, "The Great Divide" is out now on She'll
Be Right Records distributed by Obese.

[ external link ]

new trillion/she'll be right records website is up www.trillion.co.nz

trillion band video is finished and will be online somewhere soon.

trillion band is gigging around NZ from september - and over the summer.
gigs will be posted in this forum.

1st one is at The Mussel Inn (takaka) on 22nd Sept, then in Nelson on 23rd.

[ http://www.myspace.com/trilli0n ]

just for the record. Trillion Band opened for SJD at the Dux de Lux in chch on 23rd of Feb 2007.