Out of the Darkness

Very diverse record from Ubiquity artist As One spanning House, Hip-hop, and R&B featuring a ton of guest vocalists and MCs. The R&B cuts felt overproduced and slightly weak, but most other tracks are solid.
Play especially: 1, 9
1)Mellow syncopated house beat with beautiful airy moving synths lines. Male vox might be a bit cheesy but they fit the mood real well. The beat changes at really interesting times. 2) Dark mysterious noises with a simple breakbeat. 3) Hip-hop track with very layed back beat. MC Lacks does a decent job but the track comes off as over-produced and flat. 4) Kind of easy-listening sound with a simple R&B rhythm and blurbing electronics. The vocals are smooth and nice but the track is a bit cheesy. 5) A Breakbeat with congas as well as strings and other melodic elements. A bit monotonous. 6) Tripping hip-hop break w/ guitar vamping. The MC is pretty boring and the choruses are really monotonous (“Do you know what you askin’ for, do you know what you askin’ for…”). 7) Layed back old-school R&B track with lots of vocal harmonies and smooth keys/synths. 8) Tribal rhythms with synths on top-- Very static. A few melodies come and go, but without a bassline or any real driving hook, it’s boring. 9) Beautiful layered synth melodies. Very ethereal. 10) Smooth R&B beat with male vox. Very warm laid-back sound. 11) Pumping house beat with a sort of anthematic build nearer the end. Not a bad track, but the chorus –“It’s justified. It’s sanctified”– is a bit cheesy. 12) What sounds like a two minute loungey solo on a keyboard. Almost a jazz track but I’m sure it was produced.
-Mike, The Professor