It is always great to see hip hop artists deviating from the norm and projecting their music by exploring an alternative realm and producing music that is purely countercultural to the mainstream. Originating from the legendary, underground hip hop crew Company Flow, rapper/producer Bigg Jus has made a name for himself by being the opposite of ordinary; not extraordinary, just something totally different. Ever since starting his solo career, Bigg Jus has been putting out some of the most obscure and eclectic solo projects around.
A masterpiece or a clash of metaphorical music into one chaotic catastrophe? That’s up to the listener to decide, but one thing is for sure, Machines That Make Civilization Fun is not your average hip hop record. Usually Bigg Jus makes crazy records to begin with, but there is a solid hip hop element in every one; on this record, the hip hop element is masked by a chaotic soundscape with some screams and other quixotic pieces. On first listen, I was taken aback, and almost appalled. Noise was all that I could make out from the first two tracks. Rapping finally came in on the third track, but it was hard to decipher what he was saying. After a full-bodied first listen, I was both critical and skeptical – but there was something about it that made me play the entire album all over again. Tracks like “Empire Is a Bitch (Fake Arab Spring Mix)” and “Hard Times for New Lovers” really made me feel something. I’m telling you people, an album as weird as this one has never caught my ear this well. Crazy, but good, Machines That Make Civilization Fun takes the enthralling part of today’s music and pairs it with the obscene concoction of a hip hop mind to produce an album that’s ready to blow. I am positive the title has a hidden meaning that one has to learn from listening to the album, which makes me think that this album is on a whole ‘nother level. Some tracks are just too wild, like the opener “Crossing the Line” and “Polymathmatics (Restore Balance Out Think a Savage Trick),” but with every odd track there seems to be an increasingly appealing track, such as “Black Roses” and “Respective of F1 Dub.”
With hints of dubstep and electronic laced throughout the atmospheric phenomenon on this album, Bigg Jus has possibly created his most wild project yet. Strangely enough, it is enjoyable, but it requires a very keen ear and very open-minded taste in hip hop and electronic music. This album will take you on a journey – one you may or may not wish you had taken. To any fan of Bigg Jus, this album is one like you’ve never heard, but is strangely enjoyable and I can definitely attest to its originality and diversity from the average hip hop record. - Surviving The Golden Age |
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