Albums Digital Underground - Sons of the P
Supergenius - Star Wars Breakbeats
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Source (purchased/given/borrowed/the wife's): purchased/ purchased/ purchased
Date Purchased: 1993/1998/May 3, 2006
Original Review: - n/a
Thoughts/Memories/ Remembrances:
Sons of the P - Digital Underground were a damn fun group, producing a few stellar albums before fading under the weight of "gangsta" rap's popularity. Most prominently fronted by Humpty Hump, a congested sounding, comedic rhyme-maker who wore glasses and a fake (sometimes gold-plated) nose (not quite "Groucho glasses" but similar idea), Digital Underground were a massive crew that at one time called Tupac and Jay-Z members. This album was a tribute to the classic funk bands of the 70's, using Funkadelic, Parliament and Sly and The Family Stone samples to create some memorable tracks, but moreover a fantastic album. This album is one of my favourite rap albums ever, and contains "Good Thing We're Rappin", which I believe is my favourite song of all time. Sons of the P is a tribute to times past, an exploration of burgeoning fame and a jab at the changing times which would eventually overwhelm the band. I haven't listened to it in years, but it's still a favourite.
Star Wars Breakbeats - I think it was GAK all those years ago that alerted me to the existence of Star Wars Breakbeats, a limited-run album from New York-based bedroom producer "Supergenius" (aka Morgan Phillips, now the "Sucklord"). Being the fervent Star Wars geek that I was back then, I promptly made my way to The Other Music website and purchased the album before (as the store feared) Lucasfilm would come crashing down with their cease and desist orders. With the spectre of illicitness hovering over it, not to mention its rarity, this album has always felt like a prized acquisition, a real coup for my collection. Unfortunately, I never actually thought it was all that great. It's always seemed like a cheesy curiosity which I pull out from time to time, and as my Star Wars fanaticism has waned, so too has the leniency I've been giving the record.
He Poos Clouds - I bought this when I was in my "buy anything from the blocks label phase, even though I didn't really like the first album. Plus, there was all that internet hype that told me this was the awesome album of aught-six I should be sure to have. Oh, yes, I was one of those people. You know the type... the kind of person who had to be on top of what was new, fresh, hot and innovative... especially in the music scene, even more, the local music scene. I didn't do all the stupid haircuts or the "ironic" whatevers (moustaches, t-shirts), but I did appreciate them until I realized exactly how pathetically hard some people were trying to be a part of it all. The idea of "cliques" and "scenes" has never appealed to me, and I quickly gave up on it. I just tried to enjoy the music instead, but I eventually wound up resenting the musicians for the crowd that they drew, for the people that, well, ruined it by being there for the sole purpose of being seen ("scenesters"). That's the Final Fantasy crowd, a small group of people desperate to be seen at the ground floor of something that will hopefully grow big enough so that they can say they were there when it was just 20 people really digging that shit man. Problem is, Final Fantasy has always come off as scenester music, "arty" pomp as pretentious as the people who pretend to enjoy it. My distaste for the scene has clouded my judgment of the "Polaris Prize" winning music and I've barely given this album a chance.
Supergenius - Star Wars Breakbeats
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Source (purchased/given/borrowed/the wife's): purchased/ purchased/ purchased
Date Purchased: 1993/1998/May 3, 2006
Original Review: - n/a
Thoughts/Memories/ Remembrances:
Sons of the P - Digital Underground were a damn fun group, producing a few stellar albums before fading under the weight of "gangsta" rap's popularity. Most prominently fronted by Humpty Hump, a congested sounding, comedic rhyme-maker who wore glasses and a fake (sometimes gold-plated) nose (not quite "Groucho glasses" but similar idea), Digital Underground were a massive crew that at one time called Tupac and Jay-Z members. This album was a tribute to the classic funk bands of the 70's, using Funkadelic, Parliament and Sly and The Family Stone samples to create some memorable tracks, but moreover a fantastic album. This album is one of my favourite rap albums ever, and contains "Good Thing We're Rappin", which I believe is my favourite song of all time. Sons of the P is a tribute to times past, an exploration of burgeoning fame and a jab at the changing times which would eventually overwhelm the band. I haven't listened to it in years, but it's still a favourite.Star Wars Breakbeats - I think it was GAK all those years ago that alerted me to the existence of Star Wars Breakbeats, a limited-run album from New York-based bedroom producer "Supergenius" (aka Morgan Phillips, now the "Sucklord"). Being the fervent Star Wars geek that I was back then, I promptly made my way to The Other Music website and purchased the album before (as the store feared) Lucasfilm would come crashing down with their cease and desist orders. With the spectre of illicitness hovering over it, not to mention its rarity, this album has always felt like a prized acquisition, a real coup for my collection. Unfortunately, I never actually thought it was all that great. It's always seemed like a cheesy curiosity which I pull out from time to time, and as my Star Wars fanaticism has waned, so too has the leniency I've been giving the record.He Poos Clouds - I bought this when I was in my "buy anything from the blocks label phase, even though I didn't really like the first album. Plus, there was all that internet hype that told me this was the awesome album of aught-six I should be sure to have. Oh, yes, I was one of those people. You know the type... the kind of person who had to be on top of what was new, fresh, hot and innovative... especially in the music scene, even more, the local music scene. I didn't do all the stupid haircuts or the "ironic" whatevers (moustaches, t-shirts), but I did appreciate them until I realized exactly how pathetically hard some people were trying to be a part of it all. The idea of "cliques" and "scenes" has never appealed to me, and I quickly gave up on it. I just tried to enjoy the music instead, but I eventually wound up resenting the musicians for the crowd that they drew, for the people that, well, ruined it by being there for the sole purpose of being seen ("scenesters"). That's the Final Fantasy crowd, a small group of people desperate to be seen at the ground floor of something that will hopefully grow big enough so that they can say they were there when it was just 20 people really digging that shit man. Problem is, Final Fantasy has always come off as scenester music, "arty" pomp as pretentious as the people who pretend to enjoy it. My distaste for the scene has clouded my judgment of the "Polaris Prize" winning music and I've barely given this album a chance.
Re-Review: Sons of the P - when that bass groove of "The DFlo Shuffle" hit my ears for the first time in years I realized that a big grin crossed my face uncontrollably. This album just makes me so very happy. The songs on Sons of the P are indulgent -- half hovering around the 5-minute mark, and most of the remaining well past that mark -- but at the same time, it's totally in keeping with the spirit of the gigantic jams that the 70's funk group would perform. Though having a sense of humour is what made the Underground famous ("the Humpty Dance"), they still have something intelligent to say, such as on "Heartbeat Props" about giving respect/credit/recognition to black people at the time they've earned it, not after their dead, or even the whimsical "No Nose Job", about self-image and plastic surgery. The Underground love a chorus, and a lot of their songs involve two or three rappers layering their rhymes at once, or a group chorus, giving the Underground a richer, more textured, lyrical sound than most hip hop. While most of the songs have a thumping rhythm and a head nodding funk, there are songs like the titular "Sons Of The P" (featuring George Clinton), a 9-minute chilled out vibe more meditative than active. The final track, "Good Thing We're Rappin'" is a darkly comedic, preemptive strike on gangsta rap, a provocative 11+ minute track about the pimp lifestyle the band would maintain had they not broken into rapping (as if they were their only two options), presented in an egregiously glamorous but engaging manner, capped off with perhaps the longest shout out roll call ever. I can't honestly say why it would trump all other songs in existence as my favourite ever, but there's something about the juxtaposition of Humpty Hump's typical jovial personality with that of a thug-talking pimp that makes it entertaining, but also kind of sad. It's most assuredly a good thing that they're rapping, too bad the industry didn't continue to support them. (aside...things I didn't know: Shock G and Humpty Hump were the same person! Thanks internets!)
Re-Review: Star Wars Breakbeats - I've done some bedroom/laptop electronic music making in my time (really I have) and the tools available to make bedroom recordings are quite easy to use. The difficult part is assembling together something that doesn't sound like it was made cheaply or in a bedroom. Some laptop production can withstand their own primitiveness and amateurishness by sheer innovative will, others can do so by being wielded by someone who takes the time to master the tools and push them to their limits. Morgan Phillips, the Supergenius, is not one of those. Star Wars Breakbeats relies almost entirely upon kitsch rather than outright talent. By his own admission, "It just seemed like a pretty obvious and gimmicky way for me to get fame as an unknown," and it definitely plays as such (his only subsequent albums use Lord of the Rings and '80's cartoons in the same limited capacity). Most of the songs are pretty short, averaging about 2 minutes each, and that's fortunate since the repetitive loops, spacial effects and movie/children's record excerpts get pretty tedious after a short time. Only three of these tracks are actually enjoyable beyond just the curiosity factor ("Admiral Ackbar Please" easily the best of them) and out of 25 tracks, thems not very good odds. No doubt there are still some die hard Star Wars fans out there that would love to get their hands on this but more likely as a collectible than something they're going to be popping in their player on any regular basis.
Re-Review: He Poos Clouds - I'm still not sure how I feel about Owen Pallet's Final Fantasy. As I stated, I hopped on board the Final Fantasy train (even doing so rather early because it felt expected of me for some reason (either some social or blog pressure to maintain some semblance of indie cred?). I've got the albums, the vinyl eps, and even the albums from Pallet's prior project, Les Mouches, problem is I'm not sure I like them. I certainly don't hate them, but as a whole I don't enjoy them. The atypical orchestral nature of his work sends it off in a completely other direction than what most of the independent music scene is doing, even compared to those that have embraced some classical influences. Pallett definitely has a compositional drive in him, but he's still honing it, struggling between a tendency towards traditional and baroque and striving for a happy medium. The apex of his work so far is "This Lamb Sells Condos" in terms of structure. A piano-centric song, it also incorporates a choir and a "he said/she said" duality to the vocals which builds towards a fortified climax of strings. Carrying over from his Les Mouches days, the album also incorporates a lot of non-instrument percussives (tin pans and the like) and some mixer effects, venturing into avant garde territory. "Song Song Song" deviates slightly from the orchestral into something more percussion driven, Beatles-esque territory, which, in context, is a wild change of pace. I'm not agog over Pallet's work but I see the potential in it, taking the cinematic or theatrical and making it something more pop-structured, and truly deviating when compared to his contemporaries in the Canadian and global indie scene. There's definite power behind some of his songs, but others hide behind their instrumentation, or are buried by it. There's little that's bad here, and some songs (those I mentioned plus "Do You Love" and "If I were a carp") I do like a lot, but as an album I find it difficult to approach and enjoy as a whole.
Rating (keep/sell/undecided): Sons of the P - keep
Star Wars Breakbeats - sell
He Poos Clouds - sell
Digital Underground, through label Jake Recordings, are expected to have a new album called "..Cuz A d.u. Party Don't Stop!!" released this summer.
Supergenius/Sucklord maintains the suckadelic multimedia website.
Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) has and will continue to contribute to a number of projects from various artists.
Digital Underground: "No Nose Job"
Digital Underground: "Kiss You Back"
Star Wars Breakbeats: "Look Sir, Droids"
Final Fantasy - "He Poos Clouds"
Re-Review: Star Wars Breakbeats - I've done some bedroom/laptop electronic music making in my time (really I have) and the tools available to make bedroom recordings are quite easy to use. The difficult part is assembling together something that doesn't sound like it was made cheaply or in a bedroom. Some laptop production can withstand their own primitiveness and amateurishness by sheer innovative will, others can do so by being wielded by someone who takes the time to master the tools and push them to their limits. Morgan Phillips, the Supergenius, is not one of those. Star Wars Breakbeats relies almost entirely upon kitsch rather than outright talent. By his own admission, "It just seemed like a pretty obvious and gimmicky way for me to get fame as an unknown," and it definitely plays as such (his only subsequent albums use Lord of the Rings and '80's cartoons in the same limited capacity). Most of the songs are pretty short, averaging about 2 minutes each, and that's fortunate since the repetitive loops, spacial effects and movie/children's record excerpts get pretty tedious after a short time. Only three of these tracks are actually enjoyable beyond just the curiosity factor ("Admiral Ackbar Please" easily the best of them) and out of 25 tracks, thems not very good odds. No doubt there are still some die hard Star Wars fans out there that would love to get their hands on this but more likely as a collectible than something they're going to be popping in their player on any regular basis.
Re-Review: He Poos Clouds - I'm still not sure how I feel about Owen Pallet's Final Fantasy. As I stated, I hopped on board the Final Fantasy train (even doing so rather early because it felt expected of me for some reason (either some social or blog pressure to maintain some semblance of indie cred?). I've got the albums, the vinyl eps, and even the albums from Pallet's prior project, Les Mouches, problem is I'm not sure I like them. I certainly don't hate them, but as a whole I don't enjoy them. The atypical orchestral nature of his work sends it off in a completely other direction than what most of the independent music scene is doing, even compared to those that have embraced some classical influences. Pallett definitely has a compositional drive in him, but he's still honing it, struggling between a tendency towards traditional and baroque and striving for a happy medium. The apex of his work so far is "This Lamb Sells Condos" in terms of structure. A piano-centric song, it also incorporates a choir and a "he said/she said" duality to the vocals which builds towards a fortified climax of strings. Carrying over from his Les Mouches days, the album also incorporates a lot of non-instrument percussives (tin pans and the like) and some mixer effects, venturing into avant garde territory. "Song Song Song" deviates slightly from the orchestral into something more percussion driven, Beatles-esque territory, which, in context, is a wild change of pace. I'm not agog over Pallet's work but I see the potential in it, taking the cinematic or theatrical and making it something more pop-structured, and truly deviating when compared to his contemporaries in the Canadian and global indie scene. There's definite power behind some of his songs, but others hide behind their instrumentation, or are buried by it. There's little that's bad here, and some songs (those I mentioned plus "Do You Love" and "If I were a carp") I do like a lot, but as an album I find it difficult to approach and enjoy as a whole.
Rating (keep/sell/undecided): Sons of the P - keep
Star Wars Breakbeats - sell
He Poos Clouds - sell
Digital Underground, through label Jake Recordings, are expected to have a new album called "..Cuz A d.u. Party Don't Stop!!" released this summer.
Supergenius/Sucklord maintains the suckadelic multimedia website.
Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) has and will continue to contribute to a number of projects from various artists.
Digital Underground: "No Nose Job"
Digital Underground: "Kiss You Back"
Star Wars Breakbeats: "Look Sir, Droids"
Final Fantasy - "He Poos Clouds"