Three years in the making and the long awaited debut album from the magnificent Pedro finally hits our shelves. Opening with the most gorgeous piano led track you’re ever likely to hear, before blending effortlessly into a downbeat, trip-hop number. All this, within the first 5 minutes, so that’s the lazy "Folktronica" tag out of the window then. Rutledge has improved tenfold over the course of 2 EPs to become an incredible producer and composer. Relying mainly on samples and a hip-hop aesthetic to his creativity, it’s hard to distinguish between what’s processed and what’s actually being played live (if any at all). Influences range everything from dub, classical, free-jazz, garage, early electronica, and so on. "These Pixels Weave A Person" is a Missy E / Timbaland inspired number, a folk guitar riff is twisted and looped before being fused with minimalist two-step. Lush, orchestral sweeps are then cut up, which sees Rutledge in full deck-technician effect. The way conflicting genres are thrown against one another works brilliantly. The standout number is "Seven Eight," hard beats are met with a cut up classical vocal line and chiming synths, only to mould into a gorgeous array of strings, xylophones and pianos. You will never hear a song so lovingly crafted in your life, incorporating everything beautiful from a massive range of sources and blending them into one, breath-taking piece. Anyone expecting the folksy, electronica heard on the Chapel Was My Dream EP are in for a shock, that isn’t to say the gorgeous parts of his earlier work aren’t scattered amongst these 9 gems, he’s just matured fully as a gifted constructer of genuine beauty. Starting with free jazz, "123" sees Rutledge embracing the cross fader as an instrument in it’s own right, fusing a chopped up sax with the hardest, beefiest beats to make even DJ Shadow blush. Church organs are met with more xylophones, sparse electronics and yet more, hard, frantic beats. Across 7 minutes we are surely fed no less than 10 different genres. Too many styles are incorporated to simply pigeonhole or dismiss it as "Folktronica." This is an absolutely outstanding release and definitely album of the year without a doubt. After 3 months of continuous play, Pedro shows no sign of growing dull, it will age perfectly as a timeless classic. Thankfully, there’s not another 3 year wait for the next, a compilation album of earlier work been has pencilled in for a 2004 release. If you only make one purchase this year, make it this one. - Angry Ape
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![MH-240 Pedro - Pedro [2006 Edition]](/album_art_front/MH240_F.jpg)
1XLP/Out Of Print