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- Summary: The Def Jux rapper expands into the realm of modern jazz, with the help of Blue Series stalwarts Matthew Shipp, William Parker and Guillermo Brown.
- Record Label: Thirsty Ear
- Genre(s): Experimental, Jazz
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 7 out of 9
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Mixed: 1 out of 9
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Negative: 1 out of 9
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The production is crystal clear and the soundstage huge, but the true achievement here stems from the huge difficulty in being able to tell where musical mastery has become studio wizardry, as the recording has the vitality and sensitivity of a live recording as well as the flawless sound and power of the synthetic.
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SpinThe added dissonant improvisation replaces the Blade Runner futurism of his hip-hop beats with a chilling Taxi Driver dread. [Apr 2004, p.94]
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A collection of nourishing soundscapes, all of which are just as jagged and defiant as El-P's hip-hop work.
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A compelling synthesis of the hip-hop producer's talents and the solid ensemble work of the Blue Series collective.
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The WireThe results are pleasing and anticlimactic at once. [#240, p.57]
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E! OnlineA quiet, meditative effort. [5 Mar 2004, p.68]
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For the most part, what hampers the recording is a reliance on a single type of musical form: the vamp. Over simple (and endlessly repetitive) chordal structures, the players just noodle.
Score distribution:
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Positive: 2 out of 2
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Mixed: 0 out of 2
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Negative: 0 out of 2
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music411Mar 26, 2007
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Aug 24, 2015
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