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Dillatronic
by
Dillatronic Image
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: Curated by his mother, Ma Dukes, Dillatronic offers 41 rare instrumentals from the late Detroit hip-hop producer James "J Dilla" Yancey, with the focus being on his "electronic music influences," who are as much Kraftwerk as George Clinton. Case in point, the funky, slinky track sevenCurated by his mother, Ma Dukes, Dillatronic offers 41 rare instrumentals from the late Detroit hip-hop producer James "J Dilla" Yancey, with the focus being on his "electronic music influences," who are as much Kraftwerk as George Clinton. Case in point, the funky, slinky track seven included here -- none of the tracks are titled -- which slowly rocks back and forth like Clinton's solo hit "Atomic Dog," while the 26th cut comes off as a cross between Madlib and "Maggot Brain" with Funkadelic guitars spinning and swaying in a psychedelic manner. The latter track also strays from the "electronic music influences" concept, which happens with about a quarter of the album's tracks. Good thing too, as the chugging and organic track three is a much bigger surprise than the half-speed redo of "Trans Europe Express" that is track 20, plus the drifting, Janet Jackson-esque closer has little to do with electro but is likely to become a favorite with the target audience (a combination of the Dilla faithful, underground beatheads, and amateur MCs looking for mixtape productions). While the collection doesn't come with the purposeful feel of Donuts, it flows extremely well for a beat tape, and one released nine years after the artist passed. Add to that the amount of new flavors and unexpected twists (Was track 12 influenced by early dubstep? What was the plan for the dark and dense track 28?) plus crisp, clean recordings that beat the bootlegs, and Dillatronic is a necessary pickup for fans. ~ David Jeffries… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Mojo
    Dec 14, 2015
    80
    These 41 short, snappy but entirely involving instrumentals generously reaffirm Dilla's inimitable way around chopped-up vocal samples, waspish, distempered synth lines and spacey unquantised drums. [Jan 2016, p.104]
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  2. NOW Magazine
    Nov 11, 2015
    80
    You find yourself wishing for even one bonus track reuniting some of J Dilla's alumni artists over an unreleased beat.
  3. AllMusic
    Nov 11, 2015
    80
    While the collection doesn't come with the purposeful feel of Donuts, it flows extremely well for a beat tape, and one released nine years after the artist passed.
  4. Pitchfork
    Nov 11, 2015
    70
    This might be a data dump of studio experiments, not a cohesive Donuts-like experience that casual listeners might crave. But admirers of this brilliantly inventive musician will find much to rhyme over, get inspired by, or simply bounce to on Dillatronic.
  5. PopMatters
    Dec 2, 2015
    70
    Dillatronic is definitely a release that appeals more to hardcore fans but it’s still worth hearing.
  6. HipHopDX
    Nov 11, 2015
    60
    Dillatronic highlights the producer’s grand vision, but in the end, we’re left with pieces of what could’ve been.
  7. The Wire
    Dec 16, 2015
    60
    It's a tribute to Dilla's imagination that every track here has at least a spark of some interest, but ultimately Dillatronic is, like so many exhaustive archival box sets, a dry reminder that brilliance is usually the result of a drafting process. [Dec 2015, p.66]
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