| When it comes to beatmaking, there are producers (DJ Premier, Prince Paul, Danger Mouse, MF Doom, even RJD2) and then there are orchestrators, those cats who put together sample-based music like a conductor in front of a symphony orchestra. This type of beatsmith is rare. DJ Shadow still exemplifies the style, at least for me. I'd also put some of Prefuse 73's work in this category, along with some of RZA and Dan the Automator's more ambitious tracks. Then there are those on the fence, orchestrators who're half-way between avant-garde and approachable (Four Tet, Boom Bip, Daedelus, Octavius). These artists have left the confines of "instrumental hip-hop" in search of something more expansive, while at the same time retaining some of the fundamentals of the genre. Pedro, an insanely talented British beat-maker, falls squarely into this camp. His self-titled full-length from Mush (it was previously released in Europe on Manchester's Melodic Records), is pregnant with a sense of musical curiosity. In these songs, you'll find elements of rock, glitch, jazz, European and American folk music, and classical orchestration. These are beats as well, but they often take the back seat to the other musical elements. Herein, you will find few honest-to-god head-bopping joints, but to look for them (and lament over their absence) would be to miss the point. This is experimental music at a crossroads, approachable enough to tap your toes to, but innovative enough to throw your mind and musical stereotypes for a loop. I'm eager to see what Pedro does next; he could honestly go in any direction from here (I personally hope he goes in many). The Mush release of this album also comes with the bonus Fear and Resilience EP, which features remixes by Prefuse 73, Cherrystones, Danger Mouse, Home Skillet, and Pedro himself. - Signal to Noise |
![MH-240 Pedro - Pedro [2006 Edition]](/album_art_front/MH240_F.jpg)
1XLP/Out Of Print