 |
MH-222 Octavius - Audio Noir  Octavius has strived to perfect his stunning amalgam of hip-hop, electronic and avant-rock music in the San Francisco underground over the past four years. This dedication has culminated in his Mush full-length release Audio Noir. Serving as a slight departure from the beats and noise frenzy that ignited a buzz around his 2001 work with 4AM, the new release looks to establish Octavius as a purveyor of even more elaborate territories of sound. Experimental freak-outs collide with classic song structures, tension and attitude give way to raw vulnerability, and Octavius' vocal and production techniques are employed to unnerving effect. Audio Noir adds previously missing darkness and edge to the Mush catalog in a way that overwhelms, thrills, and astonishes in equal measure. |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reviews Summary |
| An important record - LA Weekly / Literally unforgettable - Industrial Nation / Delicious left-field despondency - Outburn / Great invention and blasted beauty throughout - The Wire / A tense, aggressive and surprisingly beautiful album that dares you to define it as hip-hop - Signal to Noise / A new flavor of hop that's dangerous and mesmerizing - San Francisco Examiner |
| Reviews |
| I have been digging on artists like Techno Animal and Dalek who restlessly experiment with and break apart the industrial and hip-hop genres to forge a bridge between the two to create beat-crushing soundscapes that defy the conventions and expand the limitations of both schools. Octavius delivers in the same fashion, standing out amongst his fellow Mush-mates, providing an unnerving edge and darkness to the label (home of Boom Bip). Yet Octavius understand the principles of equilibrium, conveying ethereal and haunting beauty in coalescence with total sonic obliteration. While some songs blend old school industrial sounds and loops with deep elusive beats others merge freeform hip-hop with trip-hop experimentation, conjuring Tricky at times. My favorite track on Audio Noir is "Vacant/Panic," in which the multi-textured soundscapes loom into Skinny Puppy territory, almost, while still retaining a hip-hop structure. The album's sense of urgency even recalls Joy Division in a subtle manner. Highly recommended. - Other Music |
2XLP/Out Of Print