AstroPilot - Iriy

Altar Records: 2014

Mythologies and ancient mysticisms of the world, you ask? Oh, are they ever plentiful and famous: Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Abrahamic, and plenty more have served as inspiration for the arts and culture, especially when re-contextualized with contemporary fashions. The Slavic States, however, don’t get as much love with modern audiences, content in letting the ‘gypsy lifestyle’ be their one defining historical trait. Not even Deep Forest, at the height of their commercial clout, swayed the public to the sounds of Eastern European traditionalism. Fortunately for AstroPilot, he caters to an audience a little more open to such ideas, despite many remaining stuck in their love of many things derived from the shores of Goa; he’s already explored that though (you’re kinda’ obligated to if you dabble in psy chill/dub/prog/trance/zydeco). Still, Mr. Redko’s muse remains ever restless, and for his eighth LP in as many years (!), he released Iriy, an album drawing plenty of influence from Eastern European folklore.

What is an Iriy, you ask? To save you the Wiki trip, it’s essentially a sort of ‘paradise’, like Eden or Shambhala, though based on Russian mythology. Tracks within this album include titles like Svarog’s Morning (Slavic god of celestial fire), Makosh (Slavic goddess of life cycles and fertility), Gamayun (a prophetic bird connected to Iriy), and Back To Midgard-Earth. Okay, that last one’s technically Norse, but seeing as how the Slavic States are situated in the middle of civilized Euro-Asia, one could call the region ‘Middle Earth’ too, if you’re willing to stretch your folklore to the extreme. Wait, I’m supposed to review music here, not conduct mythology lectures.

Honestly, all this comes off as window-dressing where AstroPilot goes in this album. Iriy is essentially another collection of ultra-lush prog-psy and wide-screen chill-out from the Siberian native, no real musical theme tying it together other than that. If there are sonic nods to Slavic traditionalism within, it’s very minimal (or I’m just too Canadianized to recognize it). The places and names in these titles could just as easily be a wholly created fantastical realm, but I cannot deny it was a cool trick on AstroPilot’s part in opening my eyes to an overlooked segment of humanity’s bountiful culture. Also, it doesn’t hurt having such a unique context for these tunes - The Last Night Of Svarog’s groovy trance pulse and layered synth drones carries more emotional heft if you picture the dying embers of a celestial fire deity along with it.

Iriy’s a no-brainer of a pick-up if you’ve got an itch for more prog-psy in your diet. AstroPilot’s been in a remarkable zone of quality for years now, this album further cementing an already praise-worthy career. Damn, am I in hyperbolic mode now because of this? Fine, here’s a criticism: most of these tunes stick to a very similar, lengthy prog-psy structure (ambient intro, gradual build, etc.), lending to a rather repetitive trip throughout. With scenery this gorgeous though, who gives a hoot of a svirel?

Androcell - Imbue

Altar Records: 2014

I’ve said it before, but it’s been a long time since I last said it. When was it, the last Androcell review? Whatever, here’s what I’m repeating: I’ve been spoiled by great music. No, I don’t go into every LP demanding nothing less than a 12.2/10, but it has created certain expectations upon certain artists. They are by no means obligated to meet the whims of a single West Coast Canadian – musicians do as they mean to do – but when I hear the highs some have achieved, it's all too common coming away from new material underwhelmed if they don't reach those peaks again. All this, of course, is just wishy-washy reasoning for why Tyler Smith's latest LP doesn't do it for me the way I hoped it could, even though there's nothing fundamentally poor about it.

No, this isn't yet another case of me bemoaning the lack of a follow-up in his Distant System moniker. He'll get around to that whenever he wants to, and if Mr. Smith is feeling the psy-dub flow more than the space-dub, that's his call. Though, I have to wonder, is he hesitating on Distant System due to conceived pressure? Lord knows I’ve hyped Spiral Empire to the high moons of Jupiter, but I’m just a single West Coast Canadian. Then again, I know a number of folks who hope for a follow-up. It may not receive the ridiculous anticipation of, say, The Bug’s Angels & Demons, but for those in the know, we’re jonsing something fierce here, mang.

Sorry, there I go again. Okay, focus. Androcell, new album, Imbue. This comes care of Altar Records, the psy-chill label out of Quebec that’s gaining itself a reputation as an outlet on par with Ultimae Records. I don’t know if they’re quite there yet, but having AstroPilot as one of your featured artists sure doesn’t hurt. Asura’s popped up on there too, and now Altar’s added Androcell to their ranks – gotta’ have that Shpongle inspired psy-dub stylee in there somewhere, right?

And Imbue is a perfectly fine psy-dub album. The rhythms are wordly and funky, the psychedelia is tasteful and never over-indulgent and everything flows as though you’re hearing these tunes jammed live. Though ol’ Tyler doesn’t offer any sounds psy-dub veterans won’t have heard before, his sense of song craft and musical progression remains top-notch, always throwing in little twists and turns holding your attention throughout the album’s run-through. A solid effort, all said.

Wait, if that’s true, then why the apologetic opening paragraph? Unfortunately, I’m not getting the same sense of imagery or journey as his prior work. The Distant System stuff is obvious, and even the last Androcell album had me feeling like I was out traversing ancient, mystical roads and that. Nothing comparable goes down with Imbue, unless one considers a jolly ol’ flailing time at an outdoor psychedelic party good enough. Fair enough if so, and I hope I shake this spoiled attitude towards Mr. Smith’s music too.

Various - Dub Selector 2

Quango Records: 2002

Quango's '90s compilations had several sequels to their names, but when the label relaunched at the turn of the millennium, only Dub Selector managed second and third entries. There are two strong possibilities for this. One, it garnered enough sales to warrant sequels, though it seems odd that only this one did (no love for Afrotech or Cosmic Funk in this world?). Two, Quango head Bruno Guez knew he couldn't hope to give the wide world of dub music its full due in a single CD serving. Heck, remember that Bug fella's attempt with Virgin? He resorted to two discs worth for the first volume of Macro Dub Infection, and even that only scratched the surface. So, for all intents, Mr. Guez intended for another showcase of dub music, but of a different style compared to what was featured on the first volume. It would explain the omission of Jamaican roots artists in favour of European producers – they were being saved for this compilation.

If you guessed the second option, you're slightly wrong, though you wouldn't know it without a glance at the track list. Dub Selector 2 is still very Euro-centric in who's behind the consoles, including a few of the same acts showing up. Boozoo Bajou returns, G-Corp returns (this time as their old name, Groove Corporation), Grant Phabao returns, and Noiseshaper returns with their one track Quango just couldn't stop promoting. High-profile acts new to the series here include Thievery Corporation (what's with all these dub corporations?), Nick Holder, and that Dorfmeister guy so many downtempo producers were influenced by. Rounding things out are names like Stereotyp, Scientist, and The Butch Cassidy Sound System, again all European. So it goes with Dub Selector I guess.

Any-however, we get plenty of proper reggae flavour up in this dancehall too, even if it comes in remixed form most of the time. Big Youth, Paul St. Hilaire (aka: Tikiman), and Cutty Ranks make the cut, and unlike the remixed acts of the previous volume, these are presented as authentic Jamaican jams as you'll find. Put another way, I have hardly a clue what ‘d’em rude b’wans’ are going on about, but damn if it isn't wicked-cool hearing their toasting to bouncy roots rhythms and shoulder-shufflin' basslines.

Whether you'll stumble upon any of these Dub Selectors, I haven't a clue, but should these two reviews intrigued you enough to pick up just one (??), I suggest nabbing volume 2 for yourself. The first edition comes off all too safe for a downtempo dub collection, which is fine if you're only just dipping your toes into those warm waters. Isn't it better to challenge that palette of yours every so often though? This CD should do that, honouring the roots of roots music far more than the previous disc. Eh? Dub Selector 3? I don't have that one, though at a glance, holy cow, are there ever a lot of large bands on it. Maybe that one goes proper-proper reggae dub, then?

ACE TRACKS: January 2015

What a bizarre month. There’s been a few in the past where one or two styles of music dominated a playlist, but never in the way this one turned out. Hope you like a lot of hip-hop. Wait, you do? Well, cool, but I hope you enjoy a bunch of psy-trance mixed in with that. Wait, you do? Who are you, some kind of weirdo? Oh, wait, that’s just my reflection in the monitor. Looks like a bit of yolk dripping off my nose at that. Well, here’s the ACE TRACKS of January 2015 in any event:



Full Track List Here.

MISSING ALBUMS:
John ‘00’ Fleming - Psy-Trance Euphoria 2
Various - Psychedelic Goa Trance
Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia - Psychick Rhythms Vol. 1
Various - Psychotrance 2001: D:Fuse
Various - Cosmic Funk
Various - Dub Selector
Amon Tobin - Piranha Breaks

Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 25%
Percentage Of Rock : 10%
Most “WTF?” Track: The Statler Brothers - Flowers On The Wall (for its glorious ‘movie moment’, though it’s certainly an odd one here too)

You know who makes for surprisingly good bed fellows? Early Burial and early Nine Inch Nails! Or maybe in a playlist fighting for space in the crowds of Wu-Tang Clan and French psychedelia, they found common ground, comfort in their outsider status. But yeah, with a few extra inclusions of lengthy Neil Young rock and borderline EBM, this is a weird assortment of tunes. Whatever happened to the regular ol’ house and techno, eh? This playlist should be a hoot if you’re daring to wander outside those comfort zones.

Various - Dub Selector

Quango Records: 2001

Okay, regarding the 'out of alphabetical order' conundrum surrounding these Quango compilations, I wasn't entirely truthful in the last review. See, I first realized something awry in my music collection's sorting when I passed by all those dub-titled albums two years ago without this one coming through. After a quick search enquiry, I found Dub Selector and its sequel sitting way down in the 'Q's along with a bunch of other Quango compilations. Not really in a hurry to talk up even more dub music so soon, I let them set fallow until such time I should deal with them again. And that time... is now! Ahem...

Anyhow, the selection of dub on Dub Selector skews less reggae roots and more UK downtempo and chill. This, from an American label based in Los Angeles. I keep thinking there’s some meaning behind that, but damn if I know what it is. The artists that make up Dub Selector range far and wide too. Cottonbelly mostly hails from New York City, whereas G-Corp are strictly English. Then you have Germans Boozoo Bajou sharing CD space with French acts like St Germain, Grant Phabao, and I:Cube; elsewhere, there’s Kieser.Velten and The Lost Skrolls Of Hamaric, whom hail from Austria I think. Ah yes, the ol’ Kruder & Dorfmeister connection. Wait, are there any Jamaican acts on Dub Selector? I spy a Luciano (no, not the tech-doff house DJ), but his Police And Thieves is given the remix treatment by G-Corp. At the other end of Dub Selector, there’s Sizzla’s Rain Showers, but he’s remixed by UK duo Bronx Dogs.

Not that I should be terribly surprised by any of this. ‘Jamaican Dub By Way Of White Europeans’ had existed for many years by the time Dub Selector came out, and will continue to existfor many years to come. Not that any of these acts are the bunk either, like so much ‘cod reggae’ goes - each handle the cavernous reverb and groovy, spliffed-out vibes with as much class as you’d expect of producers well-versed in the style. Heck, some of those East Europeans even add a new wrinkle, Kieser.Velten’s Dubolition and How To Find Royal Jelly from the Skrolls guys more on a jazzy-tech tip than pure roots influenced. It wouldn’t surprise me if the likes of Swayzak play-listed something similar – it’s the sort of sound you’d sooner find in gentrified hang-outs than filling dancehall spots.

Like these other Quango compilations, Dub Selector makes for a handy introduction to the world of downtempo dub, though only one slice of it. I honestly have no idea why Bruno Guez, the mastermind behind Quango, opted for such a Euro-centric exposé. Maybe it was simply a means of reeling in potential listeners with something safe and familiar, fresh-faced followers of chilled-out electronic music not quite ready for the pure roots of reggae-influenced dub. Well played if so, but it leaves the connoisseur wanting for options more bold in their selections.

ACE TRACKS:
Luciano - Police And Thieves (G-Corp Remix)
Grand Phabao - Anoub Head Yudu
The Lost Skrolls Of Hamaric - How To Find Royal Jelly

Various - Cosmic Funk

Quango Records: 2001

And I’m done the ‘Q’s. Yep, in a music collection that’s inching ever closer to four digits worth of EPs, LPs, and miscellaneous peas, I have but one album that starts with this letter. It honestly blows my mind I’ve more options in the letter ‘X’ – hooray for the X-Mix series, I guess. Even my media player tried bumping the ‘Q’ count up in sending a bunch of Quango Records compilations this way, an error I could have corrected months ago but held off on. I wasn’t in a hurry to tackle these, you see, quite content in listening to Cosmic Funk and Dub Selector for later. After all, I alphabetically backtrack enough as it is, and this way I’ve a semi-reasonable excuse in giving ‘Q’ a little extra attention, even if Cosmic Funk has nary a ‘Q’ in sight beyond the label that released it.

Anyhow, when Quango relaunched in the year 2000, they kicked things off by releasing a series of affordable compilations with simple titles and big fonts. As per the label’s manifesto, these CDs focused on far-flung styles of music, serving as handy introductions to the world of electronic beats abroad. Cosmic Funk was the first, but other selections included Mystic Groove, Afrotech, Lush Life Electronica, and Nordic Exposure (wait a minute…). With a solid mix of well-known acts and obscure outliers, Quango provided the ultimate bluffer’s guide in building a more ‘cultured’ collection of electronic music.

One problem with this particular release though: faulty advertising! Oh, there’s funk to be found in these eight tracks, but none of it is particularly ‘cosmic’. There are Latin vibes, Afro grooves, and a touch of the Balearic in there too, but not once did I find myself transplanted to the cosmic fantastic. No groovin’ to Moon tunes, no sailing along Saturn rings, no gettin’ down to Ganymede geysers, no cruisin’ on interstella’ comets, and no gallivanting the galactic core. Nope, we’re stuck on boring ol’ Earth. Oh well, at least this wasn’t as disappointing as getting that ambient dub compilation titled Ambient Dub that had not a trace of ambient on it (seriously).

What we do get with Cosmic Funk are some seriously funky jams drawing influence from disparate corners of the world. Hell, The Funky Lowlives show no fear in fusing them together, their two offerings of Notabossa and Latezz bringing chunky beats, Latin swing, and jazzy guitar licks to the table. The biggest names on here are Miguel Migs and Jay-J, collaborating as Migs & Jelly for a similar styled track (Enter The Soul) as The Funky Lowlives provided, while East Village Headz round out that side of the spectrum in Rude Vibez. The other half of goes more the Afro-funk route, with names like Neon Phusion, Kaidi Tatham, and New Sectors Movements being repped. Yeah, sorry, I know little about these cats.

Since Quango’s folded, you likely won’t find Cosmic Funk anywhere but as a used option. For a fiver though, ‘tis mighty fine.

Jurassic 5 - Quality Control

Interscope Records: 2000

Underground hip-hop, 'backpack' rap... whatever you called it in the late '90s, everyone agreed it was about as non-commercial as the music could get. The MCs involved cared not for bragging about how gangsta' they were or how much bling they made; rather, they were in it for the purist followers of the Four Pillars, outmatching their rapping brethren in verbal wordplay and flaunting their radio unfriendly status on the mixtape circuit. And though a few acts occasionally poked out of obscurity, most casual consumers of hip-hop figured the 'backpack' scene little more than MCs way out of touch with the trends, all too stuck in Golden Age goofiness. Then along came a Jurassic 5.

Right, the J5 crew weren’t the first successful hip-hop act in giving the underground, conscious side of things a needed boost – The Roots had plenty of critical and commercial buzz too. However, The Roots have long been considered a unique entity, what with all those ‘real instruments’ and shit. J5 were strictly old-school, four MCs (Chali 2na, Zaakir, Akil, and Marc 7) and two DJs (Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark) showing off their skills on the courtyards, skate parks, and graffiti spots. Simmering as darlings of Los Angeles backpackers only gets you so far though, and in a move that strangely never derided them as sell-outs, J5 signed a deal with Interscope Records. To that point, the only hip-hop that label ever bothered with was material only associated and approved by Dr. Dre. Okay, Black Eyed Peas too, but almost everyone’s forgotten that act’s old-school cred’, including the Peas themselves. Point being, few could have predicted an underground hip-hop darling would sign to a label who's recent successes included the likes of No Doubt and Limp Bizkit.

The trick worked though, their debut on Interscope (and sophomore LP), Quality Control, gaining J5 greater exposure and the attention of rap fans looking for something of more intellectual substance than bling, bitches, and hyper-violence. These four MCs all play wonderfully off each other, allowing each equal opportunity to shine on verses while perfectly harmonizing on the choruses. Meanwhile, Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark each take turns behind the decks and producer’s console, providing ample amounts of throwback funk for their crew to feed off. Most of the tunes have J5 showing off their lyrical skills, whether as freestyle, ‘keepin’ it real’ brags, or metaphor (gotta’ love a good ol’ basketball rap with The Game). Elsewhere on this album, they tread typical conscious topics like the fallacy of seeking fame (World Of Entertainment (Woe Is Me)) or finding ways of overcoming inner city difficulties with dignity intact (Contribution). For my money though, the turntable showcases are where it’s at, especially Nu-Mark’s Swing Set, where he raids a ton of old-timey jitterbug rug-cutters and mashes them up with funk drum breaks. Top notch material!

Quality Control’s gone down as one of the essentials of throwback Golden Age hip-hop albums. Get it to start your collection if you haven’t already.

Amon Tobin - Piranha Breaks

Ninja Tune: 1997

It’s time for another game of Wild Suppositional Theories! For this episode, your host asks the simple question, “What is Piranha Breaks, exactly?” It’s sure not a lead single for Amon Tobin’s second album, Permutation, as three of the four tracks on here are exclusive to this EP. It kind of has the feel of a stopgap, a hold-over between Bricolage and Permutation, but those typically contain material only hardcore fans would have interest in (live takes, alternate mixes, etc.) – the music on here is anything but half-assed. Are these just left-overs from the Bricolage sessions, then? It wouldn’t surprise me if he made so much awesome music that he simply couldn’t fit on his first LP due to accursed limited space on physical mediums. Yeah, let’s run with that theory.

For a less ‘fanboyish’ idea, Piranha Breaks is a short exploration of Tobin’s frenetic, jazzy jungle sound. If anything, this EP is a nice summation of the music he’s most identified with in his early career, the surrounding albums broader in their stylistic fusions. Take the classy vibe of Roni Size’s jazzstep, the intense rhythms of ragga and IDM breakcore, and add a little inner city menace as only a member of the Ninja Tune squad can create. Voila, Piranha Breaks in a nutshell. Well, okay, third track Sub Tropic’s a bit more trip-hoppy in pace, but that bassline’s all d’n’b feral nastiness.

And… um, that’s about all I have to say about this EP. It’s only four tracks long, each great but not all that stylistically different from each other. Like, what do you expect of me to do, list exactly how each sounds? The titular cut has a saxophone, Fast Eddie some trumpets, Sub Tropic more trumpets and slap cello, and Hot Pursuit focuses more on its rhythm section. As for those rhythms, yeah they’re cool and intricate and absolute catnip for breaks trainspotters and time-signature students. If you want detailed analysis of their attributes though, maybe try an old issue of XLR8R. About as in-depth I can go with this is ‘brain challenged, sounds cool, me like’. Isn’t that enough? Wait, I just lied about not having anything more to say about Piranha Breaks at the start of this paragraph, didn’t I. Hooray for rambly bullshit, eh.

Okay, this review kinda’ sucks. Amon deserves better, but unfortunately this is yet another case of my real life interfering with my writing life. I won’t bring up the issues here - just know that some situations are incredibly distracting at this time. Hopefully things will resolve itself in short order and this blog won’t suffer for it. Can’t let it overwhelm me, remember the Dr. Alban song It’s My Life and not allow others to suck me into their melodrama. Yeah, already this is getting too personal, and not in the musical anecdotal way I’ll indulge in. Ignore this last paragraph. Piranha Breaks, check it out if you crave a little extra Tobin spice in your diet.

Burial - Burial

Hyperdub: 2006

About time I get some Burial up in this here bloggin' bitch. I've made reference to him in a dozen other reviews, so it's only proper that I take the once-enigmatic post-dubsteppy future-garageist darling under the critical scalpel at some point. If only he'd have a higher workrate, chucking out EPs, LPs, and CDs at enough of a clip that I'd have covered at least one release by now. Wait... no, never mind, it wouldn't matter anyway. Lord Discogs tells me almost all his musics are titled in the bottom end of the alphabet – that are available on compacted discual format anyway. Man, when Burial goes low, it be low indeed.

Appropriately enough, I'm beginning this Burial business with his self-titled debut album. Come, let me take you to a bizarre time in electronic music history, when dubstep had barely squirted out of the London City underground. Hyperdub, the ultra-cool, savvy UK bass music label known for critically hailed acts like Kode9, Zomby, and DJ Rashad, had just launched. Many pegged it an upstart in the early dubstep scene, as few looked capable of toppling the mighty Tempa in those days. But they hadn't counted on a secret weapon in the likes of Burial emerging from those grimy South London Burroughs.

Thing about early dubstep is it was still entirely indebted to grime rap for its inspiration, especially so the ‘dub’ instrumentals. Grime, however, had emerged from UK garage, a rugged, aggressive counter to that scene’s glitzy urban attributes. D’em London rude-boys, they want no girly vocals and emotions in their gritty beats. Then Burial said, “Nah, guy, we can bring the garage soul to the warehouse. Watch.” And that’s what he done did, taking in garage samples and overdubbing them so they came out as ethereal whispers of UK clubbing’s past, contorted into something abstract and haunting. And geez, does it ever tug at your nostalgia memory centres. Small surprise everyone was quick in making the Boards Of Canada comparison, and it can’t be a coincidence that the Scotland duo took a long hiatus almost immediately after Burial emerged (yes it can).

But that’s the Burial as we’ve come to know, which broke out of UK obscurity with his sophomore album, Untrue. For this album, we only hear that half the time, and no surprise these are among the best tracks within. Distant Lights, Southern Comfort, U Hurt Me, Gutted, and Pirates all play to a sense desolate inner-city soul, even as the rhythmic shuffle echoes crisp and clear off abandoned buildings recently used for squat parties. There’s gentle rain-soaked ambience too (Night Bus, Forgive), but the rest of Burial is still tied to dubstep’s pure-grime roots, music much too sparse and rhythmically clunky for those uninterested in anything UK bass related.

Ultimately, Burial’s debut sounds like he’s exploring where his music can potentially go rather than being bothered in creating a cohesive LP. Considering how many copy-cats its spawned though, he definitely hit upon something special here.

Wu-Tang Clan - A Better Tomorrow

Asylum Records: 2014

I can't get Miracles out of my head! Is it because that chorus is totally brilliant, or totally daft, or brilliantly daft? It's certainly unlike anything the Wu-Tang Clan has ever done before, sounding both suitable for a corny old-timey musical and a corny EDM festival anthem. The Shaolin crew's appeal is for the rugged and raw feel of their beats and rhymes, yet here's an entry into their discography that's about as squeaky-clean as a Rodgers & Hammerstein production. Are the Wu members offering verses on Miracles even into it? They don't sound embarrassed or out of place – even Raekwon seems earnest about the song's intention (namely, can the world's troubles only be solved with miraculous intervention?). It boggles my brain, confounds my cranium, puzzles my pons.

That’s only one track though. The rest of A Better Tomorrow is, dare I say, not as bad as everyone’s making it out to be? I’m already split on Miracles, which has been every other critic’s big ‘NOPE!’ moment on this album. A few other weak moments aside though, I’m digging much of the Wu’s latest LP, especially such a hot opener like Ruckus In B Minor (ODB lives!) I’m fine there’ll never be another Enter The 36 Chambers or Forever - just provide solid, skill music, and I’m satisfied. And more often than not, I’m gettin’ my vibe on to A Better Tomorrow.

Ol’ RZA, he’s finally figured out how to get some mileage out of all those stockpiled instruments in his studio. After all, isn’t it better to create your own funk and soul loops with actual musicians rather than raid the past? If you have the capability, I say go for it, and RZA’s learned quite a bit from the true masters of the craft (no, not True Master). What I find fascinating about these beats is they’re still arranged in that distinct twitchy style RZA’s known for, but with real instruments complementing hip-hop beats, chop-sockey dialog, and scratched-up samples. Not every track hits the mark (ugh, Hold The Heater’s synths struggle to gain any traction), but for all the complaints I’ve read about RZA losing his way, I just don’t hear it. I want to hear this evolution in Wu-Tang Clan! Wait, does that make me a Wu-Tang apologist, willing to overlook every weird third-tier tangent and mediocre sub-sub affiliate project, all because it comes with that classic emblem? Oh God. U-God, even!

The real trouble with A Better Tomorrow is how inconsequential all these MCs come off. Though there aren’t any wack rhymes, no one really stands out either. It’s like RZA considered each Clan member just another instrument in his arsenal, which makes a bit of sense at this late stage. His fam’s found their own way after twenty years, and aren’t so reliant on him for exposure. It does make this album more of a RZA LP than a full-on Wu joint, which is your leave it or lump it decider in a nutshell.