| One of LA's most revered underground artists, Busdriver, returns to the arena with his second full-length LP, Fear of a Black Tangent, three years after achieving underground recognition for his first solo release Temporary Forever in late 2002. Fear of a Black Tangent continues in this vein with Busdriver's sometimes overtly randomising assault on the ears attacking the listener; from the aging electronic organ inspired freestyle of the opener "Yawning Zeitgeist Intro (freestyle)" right through to the lounge-worthy jazz proposal of the album's closing track "Lefty's Lament." Throughout the album, the quirky production, variation in styles and speeds of emceeing, and the mixture of genres provides a multi-layered tapestry that should to be listened to on a loop to really digest. By the third listen, the tracks seem to take on a new meaning, a kind of higher state groove that causes somewhat involuntary neck spasms and an increased rate of concentration as you try to decipher the lyrical offensive. The musical backdrop to each track changes and somehow blends seamlessly with its predecessor, creating a tangible range of abstract continuity. Production credits enlist some of California's brightest underground luminaries, such as Daedelus, Omid, Danger Mouse, Paris Zax and Thavius Beck; each one weaving their particular brand of transcendent magic creating the perfect platform for Busdriver to present his perplexing wordplay. After conquering the underground with the Project Blowed collective Busdriver has maintained his left-field stance on hip-hop, bestowing a stupendously diverse art form on the record buying public. His rhymes are speedy to say the least and trying to take in every word is an incomprehensible challenge; however the humour and momentum of the music carries your ears through revealing a genetically modified strain of abstract hip-hop that can only come from the dulcet lucidity of Busdriver's vocal chords. It proves to be Busdriver's babbling that is the highlight of the album; check out "Map Your Psyche" featuring the emcees from Project Blowed, Abstract Rude and Ellay Khule, for some of the best lyricists trading rhymes like they're matchsticks. Or listen to "Note Boom" to hear Driver hitting back at the state of hip-hop; I guarantee either will make you see the benefits of gritty drums and smooth production provided by some of America's most innovative. - The Situation |
1XLP/Out Of Print