Rotations, September 2008

Sep 1, 2008 12:00 PM

ALIAS

Resurgam (Anticon.)

One for the road

Chopped beats paired with soaring rushes of synths, guitars and woodwinds: Producer Alias has manipulated these variables for years to craft travel-ready, wordless symphonies. Resurgam isn't a big shift, but it's another one built for long train rides, and its prominent duality renders it quite refreshing. Framed by expert beat programming, “I Heart Drum Machines” is lush and melodic, and Alias tempers its jittery undercurrent with layers of pearly brass loops. “Oakland in the Rearview” adds balance to Resurgam's sporadic chaos; its mild tempo and subtle vocal tracks seem to stretch on for miles. — Dominic Umile

ARABIAN PRINCE

Innovative Life (Stones Throw)

Electro-rap pioneer comes home

Before toting guns and grimaces as part of N.W.A., Arabian Prince made playful electro-rap using keyboards, vocoders and 808s. With booming bass, swirling synths and rhymes about “shakin' it on the dancefloor,” Innovative Life celebrates his heydays from 1984-1989. The 12 songs range from flashy raps (“It Ain't Tough”) and funny storytelling (“Let's Hit the Beach”) to pounding club-anthems (“Freak City”). The recordings are tawdry and lighthearted, celebrating an era when hip-hop was silly amusement. No guns, no thugs; just bass, girls and Jheri curls. — David Ma

BUFF1

There's Only One (A-Side Worldwide)

Team captain shines solo

Buff1 wasted no time in dropping this sophomore album. The Athletic Mic League frontman raps over a variety of Lab Technicians' beats. The title track starts the show with violins followed by a drumbeat reminiscent of Nas' “One Mic.” The piano-riddled, Dre-esque “Goodness Music” delivers, well, a feel-good vibe. On “Beat the Speakers Up,” Buff does just that with slightly increased reverb. Hi-hats on inspirational street anthem “Goin' Nowhere” provoke mad props. Listeners then can mellow out with soulful “The Sky.” Buff1 proves that Michigan has more to offer than a great hockey team. — Sotirios Adamopoulos

THE BUG

London Zoo (Ninja Tune)

Step into the lion's den

For as front-loaded with guest vocalists as Kevin “The Bug” Martin's mash of dubstep, grime and dancehall is, London Zoo's atmospheric flourishes are nearly at odds with their features. Each brawny riddim is so overpowered with hard-panned laser synths, spooky chime sequences and sluggishly dissipating snares that if the cast of guests (Warrior Queen, Flowdan, Spaceape and more) didn't sound so hungry, they'd be easily redirected to the background. Martin's productions are fierce and blanketed in nuances; “Insane” and 2007's “Jah War” fall nothing short of the album title just on their own. — Dominic Umile

DOUSK

Kind of Human (Klik)

Jazz and electronica, jumbled

Following the criss-crossing patterns of his debut album D.I.Y., Yiannis Douskos queues jazz, house and chill-out without a considered game plan. The Greek producer opens with the buoyant jazz of “Gigi” and the Gorillaz-style “Flunked” to set a fickle statement of intent. Dousk's deep-house core, twistingly funky and acid-smudged, easily accommodates his jazz interest (“Cuckoo Rocks,” “Serenata Deluxe”), as well as J-Stars-themed fun (“Loose,” “Pentatonic”). However, the moment the ambient washouts pull the momentum back into a comfy chair is precisely when the album needs a play-list shuffle. — Matt Oliver

LINDSTRØM

Where You Go I Go Too (Smalltown Supersound)

Taking the long way around

Nothing is rushed on the latest from the space-disco godfather, but his actions never live up to his ambitions as he stretches songs past the point of being effective. Six minutes of build up precede the first kick drums on the 29-minute title track, and even as he meticulously weaves layers of bright synths, guitars, beats and bass lines, the tectonic pace of the track's shifting sounds detracts from its impact. The same issue hampers “Grand Ideas,” and only “The Long Way Home” makes this formula of reveling in change rather than stylistic peaks effective. — Noah Levine

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