Beats As Politics

(Pronounce Ghee-lane Pwa-ree-ay) OK, so the title’s a bit overblown. Still, experimental hip-hop featuring great breaks, some interesting sample juxtapositions, funky grooves, and some decent French raps from this Montrealer and his friends.

1. Short intro beats and recital of ideas
2. Dubby beats, flute
3. Dig the plinky banjo-like sample over a rough beat
4. The rhyming is the weakest aspect, the beats are good
5. More flow in French over a reggae-based dub track
6. Downtempo and grouchy, so it’s ironically titled “Montreal In My Head”
7. Fluttering flute sample over solid groove
8. Japanese phone conversation
9. Frenetic French rap over persistent backwards-running bass loop
10. Just a groove for most of two minutes, then this piano arpeggio loop starts dropping in like a pebble into a pong, waves spreading outward each time
11. Pretty spartan boom-bap