| After having released six albums for labels such as Phthalo, Plug Research or Laboratory Instinct and collaborated with Busdriver and Radioinactive as The Weather for Mush, LA native Daedelus delivers his latest slice of impeccable tunes, released jointly by Mush in the US and Ninja Tune elsewhere. This new album proves to be a modern day masterpiece laden with swirling strings, swing beats and guest vocalists a plenty. MF Doom sets the pace with his unrivalled delivery and lyrical elegance, producing the album's standout track, "Impending Doom." Here, Daedelus combines strings and powerful beats and provides Doom with a flawless sonic canvas. Other vocal contributors Sci, Cyne and Mike Ladd, add their own distinctive blends of melodic hip-hop, intelligent rhymes and introspective poetry respectively. Big Dada favourites TTC drop some exotic Gallic flavours on "Cadavre Exquis" while singer Laura Darling creates a chilling shot of sorts providing classic vocals spun over a semi-electrified piano loop on "Now & Sleep." Daedelus's constant quest for perfect sound-and-loop combination gives this album consistency and substance. From the opening "Dearly Departed" to the closing "Thanatopsis," his delightful arrangements and expert programming create in turn impressively tranquil or sharp and fertile moments on which the various contributors hang vocals and moods. His use of distorted percussions in particular make a strong impression, especially on "The Crippled Hand," "Fallen Love" and "Welcome Home," the latter being co-produced by the ubiquitous Prefuse 73 lord, Scott Herren, while excellent use of incredibly detailed textures scattered over clever melodic structures reinforces the cinematic aspect of Daedelus's music already observed on previous releases, resulting in Exquiste Corpse feeling extremely rich and varied. Daedelus's latest offering exposes his incomparable flair for alternative hip-hop and strong aptitude at crafting effective beat constructions and arrangements. The various contributors each bring their own vision and help affecting the tone of this album, yet it is Daedelus who calls the shots here, and it is Daedelus who scores in the end. - The Milk Factory |
1XLP/Out Of Print