After having released six albums for labels such as
Phthalo, Plug Research or Laboratory Instinct and collaborated
with Busdriver and
Radioinactive as The Weather for Mush Recordings, LA-native
Daedelus delivers his latest slice of impeccable tunes,
released jointly by Mush in the US and Ninja Tune elsewhere.
This new album proves to be a modern day masterpiece
laden with swirling strings, swing beats and guest vocalists
a plenty. MF Doom sets the pace with his unrivalled
delivery and lyrical elegance, producing the album’s
standout track, Impending Doom. Here, Daedelus combines
strings and powerful beats and provides Doom with a
flawless sonic canvas.
Other vocal contributors Sci, Cyne and Mike Ladd, add
their own distinctive blends of melodic hip-hop, intelligent
rhymes and introspective poetry respectively. Big Dada
favourites TTC drop some exotic Gallic flavours on Cadavre
Exquis, while singer Laura Darling creates a chilling
shot of sorts providing classic vocals spun over a semi-electrified
piano loop on Now & Sleep.
Daedelus’s constant quest for perfect sound-and-loop
combination gives this album consistency and substance.
From the opening Dearly Departed to the closing
Cadavres Exquis, his delightful arrangements
and expert programming create in turn impressively tranquil
or sharp and fertile moments on which the various contributors
hang vocals and moods. His use of distorted percussions
in particular make a strong impression, especially on
The Crippled Hand, Fallen Love and
Welcome Home, the latter being produced by
the ubiquitous Prefuse
73 lord, Scott Herren, while excellent use of incredibly
detailed textures scattered over clever melodic structures
reinforces the cinematic aspect of Daedelus’s
music already observed on previous releases, resulting
in Exquisite Corpse feeling extremely rich
and varied.
Daedelus’s latest offering exposes his incomparable
flair for alternative hip-hop and strong aptitude at
crafting effective beat constructions and arrangements.
The various contributors each bring their own vision
and help affecting the tone of this album, yet it is
Daedelus who calls the shots here, and it is Daedelus
who scores in the end.
Oli Marlow
4.2/5 |
