Surrounded By Silence
Surrounded By Silenceshould have been re-titledBedroom Producer Gone Wild. What’s not to adore about laptop sound alchemist Prefuse 73 (Scott Herren), who, like RJD2 and Diplo, crafts rare soundscapes that Bjork fans, backpack rap dukes and Pluto natives adore. But what happens when such sonic experiments go slightly awry? UnlikeVocal Studies, where there appeared to be some cohesive links between tracks, Prefuse goes a bit collabo crazy here, with over a dozen multi-genre guest vocalists and emcee’s, with mixed results. When the unlikely duo of Ghostface and El P jump on "Hideyaface", they sound unfocused over Herrens audio clutter, as does the Masta Killa and GZA fuelled "Just The Thought". WasSurroundedHerren’s license to indulge his inner RZA or Def Jux (Aesop Rock and Beans also guest)? Perhaps. But when Herren sticks to what he does best, that is, building brilliant found sound collages, and digitizing any thing he can get his hands on, the results are gorgeous; "Expressing Views Is Obviously Illegal" carries that distinctly Prefuse-esque boom bip, as does "Pagina Dos" with it’s seductive banjo playing parts. When he teams his beats up with New York electro indie rock scenesters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza from On!Air!Library! on "Pastel Assasins" or Blonde Redhead’s Kazu in "We Go Our Own Way", the tracks breathe much better. An uneven yet stimulating listen.--Dalton Higgins