After yesterday’s detour into socio-political reflection we’re going back to the music in today’s post. And the music we’re going back to is the kind that does a bit of reflecting of it’s own, back on the music of bygone eras.
The first reflectee is Blueprint, the Columbus, Ohio-based producer and emcee probably best known as one half of Soul Position, his group with RJD2 on beats. He’s known to me as the dude behind Weightless Records, production for semi-slept on indieground rapper Illogic, his album on Rhymesayers, and for being a buddie of one of my best homegirls, former radio-promo chick, Beatiful Decay affiliate, and Bustown native Kate Livingston. She’s the one who hipped me to the fact that ‘Print was looking to slip me some info about his newest release and put us in contact so I could bring that info to all of you. So big up Kate!
The project in question, Blueprint vs. Funkadelic, features tracks built around samples from seminal Funk outfit Funkadelic and finds ‘Print giving the finger to sample-cops who say you can’t sample something that’s already been sampled to death and flip it in a way that sounds fresh. Even when using super-familiar samples fresh is how the beats sound. Well, fresh if your idea of fresh is big, bass-heavy drums and lo-fi samples of fuzzy Psyche-Funk grooves. Showcasing ‘Print’s skills as a producer with the ability to make something old and potentially tired sound new as it does, Blueprint vs. Funkadelic also gives him the opportunity to shine on the mic. He does so over and over again too, spitting venom at emcees for not paying dues and not having shit to say or an appealing way to say it, and at the Hip-Hop community for not expecting skills, quality, reverence for the fundamentals and innovation from their artists, or rewarding it when they get it. More than a few times I found myself chuckling, nodding and pointing at the speaker at ‘Print’s lines, but when he says “people say producers got soul ’cause they sample a bunch of soul records,but when you talk from the heart they don’t say you got soul, they say you’re gettin’ too emo and that they don’t get it” on “Don’t Make Me Laugh” it sticks.
Watch the Blueprint vs. Funkadelic Trailer
Did I mention that you can download it for free courtesy of Weightless Records over the internets? How about the fact that if you want a limited edition (only 500 were made) CD version of the album complete with instrumentals for all tracks and a 11×17 poster of the cover art you can get that from the Weightless website? No? Well then…
I know I haven’t mentioned Jim, the new album from UK-born, Berlin-based vocalist and producer Jamie Lidell, which dropped yesterday on Warp Records. Part of the reason I haven’t discussed it yet is that I was a bit underwhelmed by it when I first heard it. See, Jim replaces his previous effort Multiply’s soul-and-funk–infused electronic dance beats with wholly organic instrumentation rooted in throwback-Soul, old-school R&B and Gospel. It’s an album of songs like that albums’ “Game For Fools,” which I would have welcomed with open arms if it came right on it’s heels. But Jim arrived a bit too late, and fresh in the wake of Amy Winehouse-fueled throwback mania, so it feels needlessly trendy in that respect, even though Lidell was one of the guys who laid the groundwork for the trend in the first place. Well, that and it still doesn’t reflect the creative insanity that used to fuel his beatbox and MPC-driven live shows.
I’ve decided those criticisms are a bit unfair though. The truth is, Jim is incredibly well-produced, with Lidell’s lovingly crafted compositions sounding beautifully orchestrated and painstakingly recorded. And Jamie is a whiz when it comes to infectious melodies, catchy hooks and emoting, particularly on the “feel-good” tracks like the Atlantic Records-esque Gospel/Soul revival standout “Another Day.” Thankfully there are also a few dancefloor-friendly jams that give Jamie the chance to get funky. “Figured Me Out” for example is an uptempo Post-Disco groover with choppy piano chords, squiggly synths and claps that evokes a night spent under a spinning mirror-ball perfectly. While “Green Light” offers a smoothed out take on percolating Sly and the Family Stone-style Funk turned Prince-influenced Disco balladry. So even if the record comes off like the work of a pale-skinned Terence Trent D’Arby devotee who hooked up with the people behind post-Winehouse soulful Pop chicks like Adele and Duffy it makes up for that with the love, care and attention to detail evident in it’s songcraft, performance, production and recording.
Watch Jamie Lidell’s “Another Day” Video
Besides, sometimes clapping and feeling good is exactly what’s needed after a bit of that aforementioned “socio-political reflection.”
- El Keter