| Thavius Beck blends electronic music and hip-hop into a personal whole which is surprisingly appealing. Returning for his second solo album on Mush Records, this producer, engineer and multi instrumentalist definitely follows his own path with a mainly instrumental album, peppered with vocal tracks and appearances from Saul Williams and 2Mex (member of the Shape Shifters crew). The backbone of the album as I mentioned is instrumental, and very brash and in your face. Loud, pounding drum breaks form the ground for swooping bass lines, hypnotic synths and recurring strings. The electronic approach to the production is very tangible though it’s well blended with a hip hop ethic that leaves the tracks feeling like they are more than just computer productions pumped out to fill up an album. From start to finish the compositions all fit their place, taking you on a most unusual ride. Between hip hop, jungle inspired breaks and electronica you’ll find tracks like "Under Pressure," "He’s Back" and "Yet and Still" while "Perpetual Pursuit" and "The Storm before the Calm" are moody, atmospheric instrumental pieces that break the sometimes relentless march of the production. The vocal tracks are the perfect counterweight to the instrumentals – on "98" Thavius and newcomer Nocando dwell on personal family matters, drawing you into their stories over an upbeat, clap led beat with irresistible piano loop. "Dedicated to Difficulty" with 2mex is a more majestic offering while Saul Williams’ poetic delivery on "Lyrical Gunplay" fits amazingly well with the instrumental and ironic theme of the track which sticks it to the pimps and gangsters. If anyone can make such a track work it’s Saul Williams. Thru is an impressive and refreshing second album in the midst of similarity that abounds in today’s hip hop landscape. If you have an ear for the different and a penchant for big, brash electronic production blended with hip hop aesthetics and meaningful lyrics then you could do worse than checking out Thavius Beck’s latest opus. Or you could just check it because it’s a damn nice and original album. - UK Hip-Hop |
1XLP/Out Of Print