In the late seventies and early eighties, hip-hop artists
were rivalling not only with words, but with creative
musical structures too. Yet, as the genre became less
and less underground after the money-spinners had sniffed
the potential of street culture, a new breed of pro-active
artists have emerged, giving it a new breath of fresh
air.
The rather prolific Scott Herren returns with his most
interesting project. Prefuse 73 crashed on our stereos
just over two years ago with Vocal
Studies + Uprock Naratives, a record that simply
reinvented the very notion of hip-hop, bringing the
genre right up to date by putting it on a collision
course with jazz, rock and electronica and ditching
traditional diatribe in favour of cut-up vocals. If
Herren also excels on more laidback grounds, under his
Savath & Savalas moniker, or, as Delarosa &
Arosa in a purely electronic incarnation, releasing
music for Hefty and Schematic, it is with Prefuse 73
that he gained respect from hip-hop and electronic fans
alike, challenging both genres like very few had dared
dreaming of before. Hailing from Atlanta, where he was
born, via Miami and Barcelona, where he now resides,
Herren has an impressive CV behind him. On top of his
many projects, he is also responsible for setting up
his own record label, Eastern Development, and has produced
and performed with a wide range of artists, from indie
kids Seely to avant-garde jazz master Hamid Drake.
One Word Extinguisher follows last year’s
’92 vs 02 Collection EP. A true hip-hop
album, perhaps at time slightly more classic than its
predecessor, this record also sees Herren crushing his
many genre-bending constructions further, as he jumps
from one track to the next. Featuring vocal performance
from Diverse (Plastic) and Mr Lif,
One Word Extinguisher also brings on board
Dabrye, Daedelius
and Tommy Guerrero for a string of collaborations. Kicking
the listener in the teeth from the opening track with
the bold The End Of Biters – International,
Herren seems to sum up this album in just one piece.
Plastic, which follow, is equally in your face,
but the clearly identifiable electronic structure of
the track contrasts greatly with the funky background
of the previous track. Barely allowing any breathing
space between tracks, Herren constantly changes focus,
alternating between short interludes and longer sequences.
Yet, as the soundscapes remain tightly held together,
Herren processes anything from jazz, funk or soul to
dirty beats and glitches into one gigantic festival
of sounds and atmospheres. Despite the twenty three
tracks making this record, the distinctive touch applied
by Herren guarantees that there is no dull moment here.
Constantly challenging his soundscapes and influences
to develop an extremely pertinent form of hip-hop, he
takes his work to a new level again.
Once again likely to appeal to an impressive cross section
of the population, One Word Extinguisher defies
conventions and confronts common ideas more than its
predecessor, yet, thanks to Scott Herren’s vision,
this album remains accessible and incredibly fascinating.
4.6/5 |
