All Points Converge

12 Notes

Okay let’s all take a break from EARLGATE to discuss some new music that share some thematic and musical references, both rapped and un-rapped.

Clams Casino- “Gorilla” (from Rainforest EP, out 6/27 on Tri Angle Records)

One of the most underrated aspects of Clams’ ethereal, otherworldly beatwork is how hard it hits. On some tracks, the loping, ramshackle pace of the drums belie just how hard the snare snaps. It’s crisp and strong. “Gorilla” is one of the best compositional tracks from Clams, combining muscular rhythmic work and smeared samples into something huge. It’s pretty, but also dark and claustrophobic. In terms of emotional resonance and overall feeling, this track is like the hip hop approximation of a well made metal track — combining strength and distortion to beautiful effect.

Purity Ring- “Lofticries” (from Ungirthed 7”, Transparent Records, 2011)

I don’t really know anything about Purity Ring other than I guess they’re British and their producer sounds like a hybrid of Beautiful Lou and Clams on this track. Dark, screwed down vocals, minor-key pianos, and a synth-harp make up the beat. The lead singer’s voice is pretty, but I’d be interesting in hearing this track with other vocals on top; right now the vocals kind of send this into Tricky/Portishead territory. “Lofticries” and the title track from Ungirthed, which is also pretty good, are telling in the way they borrow heavily from the instrumental work of rap avant-gardists like Clams, Lou, and Squadda; there are very obvious points of reference to their work here, even if Purity Ring doesn’t necessarily know their names. I’m guessing this will be far from the only electronic track to come out in the next six months to take cues from these #based producers.

Shabazz Palaces- “Are You…Can You…Were You? (Felt)” (from Black Up, out 5/31 on Sub Pop Records)

And speaking of musical acts drawing from outside their own genre, here’s a leak from Shabazz Palace’s forthcoming LP Black Up. I have been sleeping hard on Shabazz Palaces; their combination of long ass, stupid track titles on their EPs, and their signing to Sub Pop reeked of “WE’RE INTENTIONALLY BEING WEIRD AND CHALLENGING”, which is boring (rather than being organically weird, like Lil B or Clams, which is interesting). I have not heard Black Up yet, but Alex from Steady Bloggin’ describes it as being difficult and challenging, which seems to be par for the course with this group. I’m officially looking forward to it though, based on this track. It’s an achingly beautiful, sweeping epic, based in stuttering piano samples, swelling strings, key shifts and tempo changes, and some interesting mixing. This might be the best rap song I’ve heard this year, but it’s the composition, which is of the decidedly non-rap variety, that makes the track. Shabazz Palaces have always had interesting instrumental work, but this one is the best yet.

-Flex