Rotations, July 2008
Jul 1, 2008 12:00 PM
BOBBY DIGITAL
Digi Snacks (Koch)
Producer covers well-worn ground
Having earned his rep with the stark Wu-Tang Clan soundscapes, and furthering it as the sonic mastermind behind soundtracks for Kill Bill, Ghost Dog, Afro Samurai and others, RZA is still a trusted purveyor of rattling kung-fu beats, but his latest solo effort relies too much on well-covered ground to stand out from the crowd. Billed as “another classic tale of the dangers and benefits of drugs,” RZA spits his rhymes from the street-power-obsessed perspective of his Bobby Digital persona and struggles with his own good and evil impulses throughout Digi Snacks.
The familiar subject matter doesn't stop RZA's laconic flow from having an impact at times, and high points like the slow-rolling “Try Ya Ya Ya” and the lively “Don't Be Afraid” get the job done in different ways. While the David Banner-produced “Straight Up the Block” provides some crunk rumble, other beats feel immediately familiar as RZA signatures show up throughout. Lead single “You Can't Stop Me Now” even uses a beat and chorus previously employed by King Geedorah (aka MF Doom) on “Anti-Matter” and repurposed for “Undeniable” by Mos Def. — Noah Levine
FLYING LOTUS
Los Angeles (Warp)
Burned beautifully
The crackling beneath experimental producer Flying Lotus' sterling Warp debut never halts. This Los Angeles brush fire, like Burial's, keeps smoldering. It engulfs “Brainfeeder,” a pulsing set of analog swirls before it rides a busy undercurrent into the claps and muted bass of “Breathe. Something/Stellar Star,” the only segment that calls for one of the Madlib comparisons that Flying Lotus got for 1983, his Plug Research breakout. The darkening mass of detuned chords, hand-drum samples and shuffling beats that follow would probably be chilling if it weren't for the overwhelmingly charred-wood framework. — Dominic Umile
JACKSON CONTI
Sujinho (Mochilla)
Madlib takes Rio
Jackson Conti is the collaboration of Madlib and Azymuth's drummer, Ivan Conti. Energized by Conti's rolling samba/bossa rhythms, Madlib's wizardry takes flight, but this is anything but freeform. Sujinho is a tribute to the composers who've made the Brazilian scene a source of endless inspiration. The pair covers George Duke's “Brasilian Sugar,” for example, with Conti's intricate drumming (multitracked and layered) propelling Madlib's sampled vibraphone, strings and cooing synths. Covers include Edu Lobo's “Casa Forte,” Airto Moreira's “Xibaba” and Dom Um Romão's “Waiting on the Corner.” — Ken Micallef
JUDI CHICAGO
Judi Chicago x 1,000,000 (Aljera)
Much-needed analog irony
It's hard to tell if Travis Thatcher and Ben Coleman, aka Judi Chicago, approach their music or their lyrics with greater sarcasm, but their debut also shows a reverence for the dance-music clichés they send up. The Atlanta duo's deadpanned rhymes follow Beck-like abstractions to odd and occasionally eloquent conclusions, and the beats reference early house, techno and electro while keeping it coarse around the edges. This concoction works well on hilariously tawdry opener “Jack Your Box” and no-wave workout “Mad Ape,” as everything gets delivered with a nod, a wink and some extra bite. — Noah Levine
MEN WITHOUT PANTS
Naturally (Expansion Team)
Leave a message
Producer Dan the Automator's team-ups (Primal Scream, Dr. Octagon) vary so extensively it's as if he can adapt to studio surprises while answering the phone. Perhaps he should've missed the call about Men Without Pants. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion co-founder Russell Simins lends production/lots o' instruments to Naturally, shouting overtop run-of-the-mill chunky guitar structures (“Double Life”) and soloing around metal breakdowns (“Right Now”). Automator's sonically psychedelic flourishes delight on this funk-rock outing, but overall this might have been one for voice mail. — Dominic Umile
POWER DOUGLAS
Pentecostal Fangbread (FiveSixMedia)
Less-is-more lunacy
The all-noise ideology behind Power Douglas lands the group's debut in skeletal punk, but tech/live arrangements will push the N.Y. four-piece past genre tags. Pentecostal Fangbread swerves all over the road; the wordless “Aubrie” is grim and grand, fitted with a floor-tom stomp, amp feedback and sparse churning loops. Digesting the jazzy flourishes that clutter “Qual Dreg,” alternately, is a considerable challenge. Vocalist Furor Thin offers spoken word over the track's staging of treated brass and chopped snares — photo cut-ups on the cover aren't the only crazed collages here. — Dominic Umile
QUITZOW
Art College (Young Love)
Electro-popsters finish class with a B
After last year's self-titled album, Erica Quitzow kept busy with the pen and mixer — writing, engineering and co-producing Art College. Sexy makes its presence with seductive vocals over eerie keyboard sequencing on the title track. “Stay Away From John” feels like a slow psychedelic spiral, also intended for the bedroom. On “Cats R People 2,” feline sound effects form a sound relevant to the happy-go-lucky song. Upbeat tracks like “Sponsor” and “Peanut” keep it fun, but for the most part Quitzow's latest work is baby-making music for a new generation. — Sotirios Adamopoulos
DIESELBOY
Substance D (Human Imprint/System)
Drum 'n' bass served boiling
On Dieselboy's two-CD, pharmaceutically themed ninth mix collection, Substance D, tracks from various genres are remixed, two tracks are mashed into one for a fresh take, and samples from classic tracks are used to create new ones. Enlisting producers from his Human Imprint for the above duties, predictably, the mix is on the extreme hard side of drum 'n' bass. While there are patches where the pounding just isn't worth it, more often than not numbers such as the mind-melting Upbeats remix of MSTRKRFT's “Paris” or the driving number “SFX” make it all worth it. On Psidream's “Death Sentence,” this metal-edge sound takes on a melody that doesn't interfere with the beating, making it more manageable. Similarly on Dieselboy x Evol Intent x Ewun's “Midnight Express,” the tunefulness overrides the punishment. And Meat Beat Manifesto's “Helter Skelter” transforms into a funky experience courtesy of Mayhem and Evol Intent. The wholly disposable second disc has some material from the first disc plus bonus extras, in unmixed form. Word of warning: Don't look at the tracklisting or the sleeve notes for too long; you might go blind. — Lily Moayeri
READY FIRE AIM
This Changes Nothing (Expansion Team)
Tewtally, dude
Loaded up with '80s sounds and a can of Aqua Net, Sage Rader's collaboration with Shaun Morris is like a darker Pet Shop Boys or a happier NIN. “End of Over” layers ear-deceiving keyboard mutters under the melody, while other songs lean on gritty, alleyway synths. “As If It Were That Easy” centers Rader's lower-register vocals (more appealing than his thin high notes) in a tune that would've been perfect on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. Some of the lyrics need work (“So Fine” offers up “You're so fine, gonna take my time/make you mine”), but this should appeal to retro-philes and synth-pop fans alike. — Kristi Kates
THE SATURDAY KNIGHTS
Mingle (Light in the Attic)
Rocking the party right
There has been a long history of forgettable rock/rap hybrids, and electric guitar-loving Seattle hip-hop trio the Saturday Knights won't be added to that list. On its debut, TSK MCs Tilson and Barfly's carefree wordplay and catchy hooks prove to often be the ideal counterpart to DJ Suspence's uptempo, rock-tinged beats. Not confined to one framework, the trio's pulsing cut “Foreign Affair” sounds like a Rick Rubin-meets-2 Live Crew collage, while the breezy “Motorin'” is a solid shot or surf rock-inspired hip-hop. Whatever direction TSK takes, they never forget to have fun. — Max Herman
SHY CHILD
Noise Won't Stop (Kill Rock Stars)
Shyness can stop you
Roland Jupiter synths and live/programmed drums frame Shy Child's electronic pop, with the keytar-toting duo adhering to the contemporary “Thou Needeth a Spank Rock Feature to Ensure Blog Hype” rubric on Noise's fourth track, “Kick Drum.” Nothing is spared studiowise: Check “The Volume” for maximally glassy synths and “Murder Capital” for layers of tweaked countermelodies and handclaps. Strong '80s overtones call for vocal harmony double-ups, which nears emo-rock melodrama and wears a bit thin. Incidentally, drummer Nate Smith smashes the hell out of his set so the noise never stops. — Dominic Umile
SUPERGRASS
Diamond Hoo Ha (Astralwerks)
Eleven rockin' carats
The UK's Supergrass first hit the scene with its big, carefree songs in the mid-'90s, and with the band's growth came more detailed, introspective compositions — and less chart success. Now the band is back with revitalized groove-rock music that revisits its original approach. Members haven't lost their hook-writing skills, now enhanced by Nick Launay's production. Whether it's the modernized Beach Boys harmonies of “Ghost of a Friend,” the stylish Bowie-glam of “Bad Blood” or the waywardness of “Rebel in You,” it's sharp and mostly memorable, despite that ol' fickle roller coaster of commerciality. — Kristi Kates
SYCLOPS
I've Got My Eye on You (DFA)
Unraveling grooves
Not much is known about the people behind these hypnotic beats besides the fact that Sven Kortehisto plays keys and gear; Hanna Sarkari adds bass, other keys and electronics; Jukka Kantonen provides the percussion; and they're not all Finnish. But a detailed biography isn't needed to understand the jittery grooves filling their debut for James Murphy's label. They mix programming with live playing into everything from jazzy downtempo (“A Lovely Sunday”) to techno (“NR17”). It starts with rhythmic loops, but just when things get comfortable, solos erupt to break the pattern. — Noah Levine
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Buzzin' Fly — 5 Golden Years in the Wilderness (Buzzin' Fly)
It takes three discs to contain this buzz
Ben Watt only started his Buzzin' Fly imprint after his deep-house jaunt “Lone Cat” got bootlegged, and just five years later it's become a top source of deep- and tech-house beats. “Lone Cat” appears on Up, the classic-filled first disc. Down, the second disc, shows the label's furthest reaches, such as the dark synth-pop of “Mon Ange” by Mlle Caro and Franck Garcia. For Forward, aka disc three, the label's future comes into focus with Spencer Parker's techy “Chiho” showing why Watt should be celebrating again in another five years. — Noah Levine
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
