This Flying Lotus video has been making the rounds. And yes, it's as good as it should be. But with the wealth of LA based producer talent, it's worth wondering who the next huge figure will be to emerge.

RJD2

Dead Ringer

(Def Jux, 2002)

The hip-hop community has never considered Ohio to be a major hot spot, however, of late there seems to be a good reason for that to change.  Between Cincinnati and Columbus over the last half a decade or so, quality records have been pouring out of the area.  With acts like The Five Dees, Blueprint, Illogic, Hi-Tek (of course) and now RJD2 Ohio can now boast of a scene that can exist independently of the major markets in the country.  Taking note of the insurgence of talent Def Jux owner El-P has released the album “Dead Ringer” by Columbus resident RJD2. 

The record (not his first though, I’m sure there a bunch of mix tapes out there, like “Your Face or Your Kneecaps”) featuring sixteen tracks is not just another dj album.  RJD2’s work doesn’t boast the same frantic drumming as the Dj Shadow records, but remains pretty relaxed all the way through.  Fellow Columbus res Blueprint (owner of Columbus label Weightless Recordings) is featured on the track “Final Frontier” and Cage appears on the track “June”.  So, it’s not all instrumental funk samples. On “Ghostwriter” a nice acoustic guitar sample begins and propels the song as various female “oohs” and “wooohs” are pulled in and out of the mix.  “Shot in the Dark”, boasting a nice beat, comments upon the coppers being too gung-ho, with assorted film samples of cops and suspects mixed up in a chase.  The whole deal is solid, not a throw-away-track to be seen. They’re not all classics, but at-least each track is above par. Hopefully he can reproduce the standard that he has created for himself while still changing up the game.  Appearing at this past summer’s corporate sponsored Bonnaroo Festival (two separate sets) RJD2 will most assuredly be heard from again.

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V.A.

Creative Musicians Vol. 2

(Perfect Toy, 2005)

Unfortunately, I haven’t heard the first installment of this compilation, but I have heard other albums from this particular label and its generally got the goods. About half of this album, though, does need to be absolutely discounted – but that’s the latter portion. Through the first half of the disc there are a number of funk gems that most likely would have never come to my attention otherwise. Jimmy Lynch makes a few appearances on this slab, including the first track during which he is introduced as the “Funky Tramp.” The band is tight and Lynch cranks it out.  Probably the most memorable track on the album comes from a woman named Betty Barnes.  Her track “Momma Momma,” uses the song’s title at the beginning of each line of verse; creating a nice effect. If nothing else her voice is mildly reminiscent of Tina Turner’s and who doesn’t like that? A few instrumentals are worth noting; Ruff Thomas, with handclaps and all entertains on “Give Me Mercy.”  Faruk Green has a remarkable drummer on “Faith,” but the rest of the album falls short of funkentabulous.  Probably, you’d be more satisfied with Roy Ayers’ “Coffy” but who knows?  There’s no accounting for taste.

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The Ex were a politico-punk band which began issuing albums during the late seventies and early eighties. Since that time, the band's grown to appreciate free improv and Ethio-Jazz. The confluence works out.

Múm

Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy

(Fat Cat, 2007)

Despite the seemingly ever shifting line-up and specific musical avenue that múm seeks to occupy, it’s able to sustain an ever expanding international following. But that’s the power of intelligent music (not intelligent dance music). Like every other band this millennium, múm defies categorization, incorporating seemingly unmusical elements and instruments into the complex arrangements of its songs. What this album does that past efforts have not, is to smooth out the electronic elements and create a more generally palatable and understated disc. The recent and populist reverence lent to Astor Piazzolla and his bandoneon is found on “A Little Bit, Sometimes,” but also recalls pleasant enough childhood moments. The one throw back presents itself in the form of “Dancing Behind My Eyelids,” which possesses enough heavy handed drum programming to please any devout fan of electronic musics. Most of this offering, though, sounds less paranoid than “Eyelids” and in fact often sounds almost organic, save for the fact that the instrumentation is of course anything but that. The lead off track blossoms with a light melody and the pleasing tones of Eastern styled percussion. Die-hards rejoice, skeptics may nitpick, but there’s enough creative forethought on Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy to make the album an appropriate, more gentle and mature re-working of a style that is definitively múm.

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V.A.

Jazz Toys

(Perfect Toy Records, 2005)

Europeans have a very fickle sense of cool.  Some things simply work there that don’t work here.  And some things are cool across the Atlantic that are just cliché and cheese filled here.  Case in point: the majority of the tracks on Jazz Toys.  Beyond the disco and uncomfortable sounding funk of this compilation there are a number of tracks that can actually be translated into American Cool.  The Earth Quakers do “Soul Samba” and while there’s a bit too much orchestration, which plagues other funk tracks on here, the acoustic guitar works well together with the rest of the group.  Fusion classic, “Chameleon”, gets re-done by Kaatee Frits Quartet.  Interesting choice of covers.  But frankly, no one’s going to be able to pull off a cover of this tune that touches the original; close, but not quite there.  Additionally, there are a number of more traditional jazz tracks.  Chet Baker, who apparently recorded one off dates with European groups during tours, here gives us a track with a French group that sounds too Latin style to hail from the interior of the continent.  The other more traditional sounding jazz track comes from a group called Hipnosis.  Most of their albums are instrumental, but for this compilation, they choose to include a vocal number.  And I can’t say that it works out in their favor.  Not bad, but the female vocals just aren’t all that pleasing.  In its totality, this compilation isn’t really all that pleasing either.  Some artifacts of music gone by are lost for a reason.   Here, sometimes unfortunately, they find the light of day.

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Seth P. Brundel

Devil’s Pawn

(Aesthetics, 2004)

A few years ago I borrowed a 12” called “Movements” by Cyne. And on the second side? Obligatory remixes. But, two were by Seth P. Brundel. And finally he releases a solo album. Subtle innovations are copped by Monsieur Brundel, so the music doesn’t sound solely hip-hop related. It’s not a third stream, but it’s a tributary. The one complaint I have is that on every damned track there’s awful drum production. Any slight that I could possibly conceive of would not fully convey the horror that these drums visit upon me. Even with robo-drums, though, this album is warm, but not hot. The raps are above boards and the production comes close to being unique. Alotta politics fly from the mouth of Brundel, but really the most touching track comes in the form of the “Self P.” Disregarding the fact that this one’s an introspective downer, it stands out amongst the rest of this slab. I guess that there has to be a battle rap, and we get it on “Ego Fuel” – it’s typical faire. Some psychedelics, interestingly enough, show up with the references to The Doors and Floyd on “Absolute Power”. Included are enough backwards guitar to be interesting and not annoying. Good release overall, but ya’ll need to work on the packaging.

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Madvillainy 2

The Madlib Remix

(Stones Throw, 2008)

Anything positive one reads about Madlib (née Otis Jackson, Jr.) is true. The samples he secures for each release are assuredly vital as well as previously unearthed. His prowess seems to have become mythical – perhaps that’s too much, but it’s difficult to find genuine criticism of the man and his work. The Madlib Remix may catch some flack, but its purpose is to hold listeners over until Doom re-surfaces with a slate of nuanced and hilarious rhymes to match Madlib’s samples for the proper follow up to Madvillainy (2004). The Remixes though reapply Doom’s raps from that first offering to new Madlib musical constructions. As in the past, it works. Of course, since the lyrical content is familiar, the music that Doom’s voice was previously set to could be missed if not for the always substantial beats from his partner.

Considering that this isn’t actually a new release, one may assume that no new statement (assuming that there was an old one) is to be made here. And maybe there’s not, but lyrically there’re considerations of the past, present and future – which is kinda funny considering listeners have been waiting for a future release predicated on previous work.

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The question on everybody's mind was, "Can lightning strike twice?" Like the truism, it can happen, but you still don't want to put money on it. England were 1 up in the series, already some way to erasing the humiliation of last year's 6-1 thrashing. Australia have never been used to the taste of defeat, and the strategic placement of this series - after the World Cup final loss to England and before the Ashes - meant that every result would be seen in a larger context. Being one down to England added pressure - and incentive - on Australia to draw blood.

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There’s an ever broadening cast of Ohio rock adherents that will basically voch for anything remotely bizarre from the state round on the ends and hi in the middle. Joe Walsh not withstanding, there’re unquestionably a number of reasons to dig for anything from that phenomenal state – CLE stuff and downer Columbus work being clutch. It seems, though, that as time wears on and folks find or revisit some of those albums – or convince the old guys to perform again – a new swell of appreciation reveals itself.

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