Lese Majesty

Genre: hip-hop, ambient, 2001: a rap odyssey

Seattle-based duo return after the critical acclaim of 2011's "Black Up" with a new album of psychedelic soundscapes and abstract wordplay. Although technically hip-hop, this CD veers closer to forward thinking electronica. Political, ambitious, and boundary pushing, "Lese Majesty" is an unequivocal must-listen for 2014.

Others: Death Grips, Flying Lotus, Actress, clipping., Nicolas Jaar, Young Fathers

Favorites: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 16. FCCs: None (clean promo version)

1. (3:53) *** Atmospheric synths and a minimalist beat. Ominous, mysterious vibe. Transitions perfectly into the next track.
2. (3:49) **** Skittering drums and super dense production. Great vocal performance by Ishmael Butler. Favorite track?
3. (3:23) *** Pitch shifted vocal sample and heavy beat compared to rest of the album. Transitions to jazzy tone reminiscent of “Black Up"
4. (1:33) Wonky synths accompanied by funny word play from Butler. Transitions into next track.
5. (1:58) Short and off-kilter. Doesn’t stand too well on its own as a track but good as a mood setter and a piece of the suite. Transitions into next track.
6. (1:35) ** Sultry and downtempo…wish it was longer. “We should touch and agree”.
7. (1:42) Start and stop beat with hazy vocals and abstract stream of consciousness lyrics.
8. (0:41) Short, bassy lead-in to track 9.
9. (4:36) *** Is that auto-tune? Why yes it is and somehow it works. These guys are pulling apart hip-hop clichés left and right. The production is something else on this. Lovely coda.
10. (2:12) More straightforward beat accompanied by great wordplay and vocal intonation.
11. (0:39) Sci-fi interlude. Pair with track 12
12. (4:02) **** Refrain of “eating cake”. Uptempo. Impossibly awesome production. Love this. Name drops the city Muscat (my last name) at the end of the track. Also Kanye but who cares.
13. (2:10) ** Fantastic drums with Twilight Zone synths.
14. (1:41) ** Beautiful, Flying Lotus-esque piece. Cosmic.
15. (1:22) Fast 4/4 techno pulse and queasy bass-line.
16. (3:49) *** Repeating vocal sample of “money”. Future-jazz beat. Super smooth. Great track.
17. (3:04) ** Water drop samples. Slightly glitchy instrumental. Gets more discordant toward the end.
18. (2:08) ** Abstract…Butler’s voice has been totally consumed by the production…zero-gravity rap…more water drops.