"Everything She Touched Turned Ampexican"
(Warp Records)
eight / ten
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PREFUSE 73 "Everything She Touched Turned Ampexican" (Warp Records)
eight / ten |
"Hey John, the new Prefuse album came into the office Š do you want to review it?" asked Ciaran. "Whoa, damn straight I do!", replied John, weeing himself a little in anticipated joy. John always loved a bit of Prefuse 73. Like BIG TIME. So John went home, lashed on the CD, peed himself a bit more and said to himself "By God, Mr Scott Heron is some man for the beats, wha!"
John thought about how Prefuse 73 puts more swing and intellect in his chopped-up rhythms and diced synths than all the new jacks put together and how he rocked the off-time drums before it was ever trendy. So, while Samiyam and Hudson Mohawke are handed the keys to the cool kingdom by every magazine in the galaxy, Prefuse just waltzes along in his usual stoner shuffle and drops an album that quite frankly poos all over the competition.
Everything She Touched Turned Ampexican is a curious piece of work in itself - like previous albums, its comprised of short micro-ideas of work but the pace and direction of this album appear more fluid and natural. You won't hear anyone saying, "Hmm, I really enjoy how track 4 progresses over time." Why? Because it's 14 seconds long. ThatÕs not the point though; the album is the consciously evolving work of an artist whose vivid colourful ideas are realised more as an entire exhibition rather than individual canvases; delightfully disjointed stuff.
Old admirers of the typical Prefuse aesthetic will be happy that the ante is considerably upped this time around, producing a work that owes as much to Animal Collective as it does to J-Dilla. Or maybe both of them owe Prefuse. Either way, the beat-tape sweepstakes spell out victory for Mr. 73 in capital letters in what is sure to be one of the most interesting releases this year. Now, I must go change my jocks.
John Lillis
www.prefuse73.com
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