Putting the jam band DIY mentality to good use, this unique collection of artists and musicians has become one of the country‘s most intriguing, innovative outfits around. Known for kaleidoscopic, Buddhist-influenced hallucinogenic sound tapestries (think Sigur Rós on mushrooms), Artifact, on their own indie label, features their more melodic aspects. The interplay between tasteful, jazzy rhythms, sparse piano and guitar work, occasional vocals (“Better Day”) and spaced-out innerspace musings (“Tokyo”) is a cut above most groove-based jam bands‘ studio work. Budding masters of many trades, Artifact is a worthwhile relic for future reference.
Syclops Mom, the Video Broke
“3 mystery musicians” blah blah blah… all you need to know about this single is that Maurice Fulton produced it, so it‘s most likely going to be a few notches above great. Though not as manic as his usual fare, the trademark live-and-programmed drum mixes are there, as well as the space-age sound effects and Fat Albert basslines.
Death From Above 1979 Romantic Rights
“Romantic Rights” is a violent piece of maniacal dance-rock; while most similar fusions lean in a punk/post-punk direction, DFA1979 (not to be confused with the Rapture‘s DFA) takes things a step further by metalizing their mixture. Questionable though this may sound, it actually works. The Alfonzo Falcone mix is the standout, honing the original‘s edge into a rising tower of force that can literally freak out a dancefloor (this has been hand-tested by the author). Solid.
Mr. Spade Real Talk
This is not a headphones album. It is not a notice that there‘s a new lyrical wunderkind in town. So what is it? Some West Coast bumpage for slumpin‘ in a lowered car filled with enough subwoofers to handle the overpowering low-end. Over 20 tracks there‘s no new ground broken, but there‘s plenty of window-rattling bass-wide-open 808s and the kind of synth bass tones that are dominating West Coast hip-hop. If you‘ve had your head in the clouds of late, it‘s time for you to come back down to the turf and enjoy some good old-fashioned big-time bumps. Mr. Spade could be just what the doctor ordered.
White Hole Pink Album
With their full-length debut as White Hole, longtime collaborators Nicholas Bussman and Hanno Leichtmann unveil a brainy take on hip-hop that has Berlin written all over it. There‘s a compelling mechanical vivacity to this album, as if a gang of kitchen appliances suddenly came to life and hit the pavement looking for a pack of smokes. The toothy electro opener “He‘s in Jail” makes clear that the key to the Pink Album lies in its metallic, vibrating basslines; they‘re a propulsive backbone on tracks like “Le Rap Du Psy” and the drunken, jangling “Ingrus.”
Breakage Staggered Dub
Critical continues to push the dub and bass vibes with Breakage‘s “Staggered Dub,” which swings with gruff DJ vocal chants, Dillinja-esque bass quakes, and rough Amen edits propelling you to stomp. The flip, “4 Me,” is a less abrasive tune led by a combination of the Scorpio break and syncopated bongo hits; a minimal and subliminal roller.
Mathematics Jazz
Mathematics has definitely established a fine balance between soulful funk and edgy techiness, a quality that has made their tunes feel at home with a wide spectrum of DJs. “Jazz” is no exception as it drives through distorted Rhodes and a rollercoaster-moving bassline. Check the flip, “Sphinx,” where the bass sounds fall into a deep abyss.
Kadet Thin Air
Kadet Kuhne is part of a growing mob convincingly arguing that intriguing digital art and Southern California are not antithetical. An installation and video artist as well as a musician, Kadet‘s Thin Air was entirely created with Sensorium, an interactive software environment, but the process is really only as important as the result. The result is a strange and enveloping pocket of barely-there music: synthetic scrapes, soothing plinks, the sounds of live patch cords plugging in. Yet Kadet‘s work somehow looms larger than the sum of its soundwaves, grasping for a larger, more impressively cinematic headspace.
Mike Ladd Negrophilia
Instead of cramping jazz into hip-hop‘s beats, Ladd lets hip-hop spill out in a manner that would make Ornette Coleman and other pursuers of freedom proud. Name dropping Duchamp and Malinowski, he isn‘t trying to be clever, just not interested in dumbing down. A bevy of instrumental tracks allow the talented live band to work their chops. On “Back at Ya,” a duck-walking oboe riff is backed by what sounds like Tony Allen in a garage punk band: ominous, sad, sarcastic, and smart. Most of these tracks aren‘t exactly crowd pleasers, instead Ladd has carved out an unusual and consistent album.
Mum‘s The Word Constant Evolution
Todd Mumford got into music production as a college radio DJ at UC Santa Barbara, and he‘s been studying both mainstream and the underground ever since. Constant Evolution is a straightforward amalgam of hip-hop and electronica spruced up with an occasional reggae-inflected track or lounge sample. LA‘s underground rises up to contribute guest vocals; Senim Silla raps about big brother and Myka 9 offers tangled rhymes about art, life, and accused Baretta star Robert Blake. Brother Ali‘s deep bellow makes “Treacherous” the stand-out track. Mum‘s a competent producer but has yet to find his own sound.
