It’s a strange, though novel, idea to release albums of independent production music. The genre, also referred to as “library music,” is meant as a royalty-free resource for use by radio and other media outlets. Here, Stones Throw sub-label Miserable Beast has commissioned Canadian producer Koushik to craft Tell Me What You See, music for a film-noir project that exists only in their minds. He’s not the first to write a soundtrack for a movie that will never exist, but the difference on Tell Me What You See is that no story develops through the music. While solid production work is found throughout, particularly on jazzy numbers like “Wutucint,” the beat-centric “Brasil Beat” tracks, and the slow funk of “Groove Awhile,” you can’t really approach this collection of songs as a true album. Yet as a showcase of eclectic and creative studio work, Tell Me What You See is an interesting suite of carefree tracks that remind us of how music used to sound.
