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PREFUSE 73, "SURROUNDED BY SILENCE"
For Surrounded By Silence, the fourth full-length release as Prefuse 73, Scott Herren picks up the thread from where 2003's One Word Extinguisherleft off in terms of pushing the envelope of musical beats forming intosublime compositions divided with interesting interludes. Havingpreviously collaborated on some tracks with MCs, this time out Herrenhas invited a bevy of singers and MCs such as Beans, Aesop Rock, MastaKilla and the GZA, who turn up to further enrich a good deal of thedisc's 21 tracks.
Warp Records
The laid back, steady beats and charming sound swirlsof "Hide Ya Face" are ignited by the spit-fire commentary from MCsGhostface and El-P for some musical juxtaposition at its finest.Throbbing bass drum and downbeat handclaps support "Pastel Assassins"in its mix of sampled woodwinds and nylon string acoustic guitar alltopped with the gorgeous vocals of NYC sisters Claudia and AlejandraDeheza. Machine beats and sampled harp-pluckings form the backing trackof "Now You're Leaving," featuring the rhymes and soulful vocals ofBrooklyn MC/producer Camu. Based on a brief relationship, Camupoignantly sums it all up with the chorus of "Now we met / We kissed /You're breaking up / Now that's it / Now you leaving / Now I'm gonna bemiserable for the rest of my life." The full-length instrumental"Gratis" is the stand-out, deep groove and slick sample arrangementtrack that I've come to expect after hearing "Perverted Undertone" on ...Extinguisher.Herren skillfully blends trumpet and string section layers into themelodic element amidst treated Clavinet tones and beats for one of mymany favorite tracks on this disc. Now based in Barcelona, Herrenproduced much of these tracks in NYC for the convenience of tapping theMC community for its talents, although hints of Spanish influence(i.e., nylon string guitar, ethereal female vocals) seep into thesprawling urban mix. What I love about Prefuse 73 is how Herrencontinually manages to pursue and re-invent all the interesting facetsof his personal brand of hip hop without trying to re-do or out-do hisprevious discs. Currently touring North America, I'll be lookingforward to seeing if Herren and company can pull off tracks from Surrounded By Silence with style and conviction. Although, based on past live experiences, I have no doubts about it.
Warp Records
The laid back, steady beats and charming sound swirlsof "Hide Ya Face" are ignited by the spit-fire commentary from MCsGhostface and El-P for some musical juxtaposition at its finest.Throbbing bass drum and downbeat handclaps support "Pastel Assassins"in its mix of sampled woodwinds and nylon string acoustic guitar alltopped with the gorgeous vocals of NYC sisters Claudia and AlejandraDeheza. Machine beats and sampled harp-pluckings form the backing trackof "Now You're Leaving," featuring the rhymes and soulful vocals ofBrooklyn MC/producer Camu. Based on a brief relationship, Camupoignantly sums it all up with the chorus of "Now we met / We kissed /You're breaking up / Now that's it / Now you leaving / Now I'm gonna bemiserable for the rest of my life." The full-length instrumental"Gratis" is the stand-out, deep groove and slick sample arrangementtrack that I've come to expect after hearing "Perverted Undertone" on ...Extinguisher.Herren skillfully blends trumpet and string section layers into themelodic element amidst treated Clavinet tones and beats for one of mymany favorite tracks on this disc. Now based in Barcelona, Herrenproduced much of these tracks in NYC for the convenience of tapping theMC community for its talents, although hints of Spanish influence(i.e., nylon string guitar, ethereal female vocals) seep into thesprawling urban mix. What I love about Prefuse 73 is how Herrencontinually manages to pursue and re-invent all the interesting facetsof his personal brand of hip hop without trying to re-do or out-do hisprevious discs. Currently touring North America, I'll be lookingforward to seeing if Herren and company can pull off tracks from Surrounded By Silence with style and conviction. Although, based on past live experiences, I have no doubts about it.samples:
