Having grown up in New York, it was almost inevitable
that the Blockhead kid would come into contact with
hip-hop. Having collected thousands of tapes and CDs
from an early age, he tried his luck at rapping for
a short while, before moving behind the decks. His reputation
as a producer grew somewhat rapidly following his work
on Aesop Rock’s Float in 2000, and Labor
Days a year later, and his contribution to albums
by the likes of Murs, Slug from Minneapolis-based Atmosphere,
Mike Ladd or S.A. Smash. Already responsible for a collection
of beats and bobs for DJs, Broke Beats, released
on Mush, Blockhead now ventures into the limelight on
his own with his first album.
Music By Cavelight is a much more subtle and
straightforward affair than his previous work could
have led to think. Here, Blockhead deals in classic
comatose beats, delicate melodies and atmospheric sonic
constructions, embracing the Ninja Tune tradition with
determination. In just under an hour, this album visits
a variety of aural spaces, from the trumpet-led Insomniac
Olympics, which opens the album, to the late night
jazz of A Better Place and the melancholic
variations of the Triptych series. The mood
is laidback all the way through, with Blockhead injecting
a wide range of cinematic samples into his instrumentals,
altering the mood at will, yet remaining consistent.
Music By Cavelight is in part a bit forgettable
though. The melodies are polished and the production
superb, but Blockhead doesn’t seem to shake off
the sleep off his beats, and for each moment where he
pulls it off rather well (Insomniac Olympics,
Triptych (Pt. 1), Carnivores Unite,
Sunday Seance, Jet Son), there is
another that seems to just be there for the count. And
this is the problem with this record. Tracks come and
go, but rarely stick in the mind, leaving the listener
with an empty feeling at the end, as if the past hour
had mysteriously vanished. Music By Cavelight
resembles a train journey in slow motion. Landscapes
and towns are distant moving elements that do not alter
in any way the experience of the journey itself.
Given more aplomb and presence, with Aesop Rock’s
Def Jux providing some vocals perhaps, this first Blockhead
would have had everything to satisfy the mind. As it
stands, Music By Cavelight shows off T. Simon’s
production skills very well, but unfortunately remains
partly empty or content.
3.2/5 |
