Shabazz Palaces / Lese Majesty
Album: Lese Majesty   Collection:General
Artist:Shabazz Palaces   Added:Jul 2014
Label:Sub Pop Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2014-08-01 Pull Date: 2014-10-03
Week Ending: Oct 5 Sep 28 Sep 21 Sep 14 Sep 7 Aug 24 Aug 17 Aug 10
Airplays: 3 1 1 2 2 1 3 2

Recent Airplay
1. Mar 31, 2022: Sound Landscapes (rebroadcast from Mar 1, 2018)
They Come In Gold
4. Sep 15, 2016: subwoofer etc
#Cake
2. Sep 26, 2018: Sound Landcapes
Forerunner Foray
5. Apr 08, 2016: Life Aquatic
Dawn In Luxor
3. Mar 01, 2018: Sound Landscapes
They Come In Gold
6. Oct 09, 2015: A Visit From Drum
Forerunner Foray

Album Review
DJ Muscat
Reviewed 2014-07-31
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.

Track Listing
1. Dawn In Luxor   10. ...Down 155th In The Mcm Snorkel
2. Forerunner Foray   11. Divine Of Form
3. They Come In Gold   12. #Cake
4. Solemn Swears   13. Colluding Oligarchs
5. Harem Aria   14. Suspicion Of A Shape
6. Noetic Noirmantics   15. Mindglitch Keytar Tm Theme
7. The Ballad Of Lt. Maj. Winnings   16. Motion Sickness
8. Soundview   17. New Black Wave
9. Ishmael   18. Sonic Mythmap For The Trip Back