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Combining rap vocals with a musical foundation based upon 1980s-era synthesizer textures, Effigy Seed bridges old and new(ish) on its self-titled full length release. The Asheville hip-hop\/electronica duo of Philo Reitzel and Linus came together in January 2018, with its first live performance in July of that year.<\/p>\n
Effigy Seed<\/i> mixes up the various sides of the duo\u2019s approach. The opening track \u201cSeed\u201d lays down a simple musical bed of stuttering beats and ghostly organ stabs, atop which are applied rap rhymes showcasing fairly standard-issue bravado (for good measure, the lyrics mention both bitches and<\/i> ho\u2019s). A sung chorus adds welcome variety. Things get far more interesting on \u201cFire,\u201d an electronica excursion in which the rapid-fire rhymes don\u2019t start until two minutes in. And when they do, they\u2019re more intriguing than the first track.<\/p>\n
The bass-bomb-filled slow jam of \u201cFace\u201d splits the difference style-wise: the raps come fast and furious, and the musical bed is glacial and hypnotic. The contrast if effective. The synthesizer tracks on \u201cSight Unseen\u201d head in several directions, all intriguing. \u201cHot 96\u201d is electronic dance-funk that combines the best elements of \u201880s synth acts like Depeche Mode with dancefloor hip-hop. \u201cBack At Em\u201d conjures a slightly menacing hall-of-mirrors feel.<\/p>\n
\u201c808 Samba\u201d (maned after the Roland TR-808 drum machine, a key component of early 1980s music) doesn\u2019t really have a lot to do with the Brazilian musical genre; it\u2019s mostly a rap-and-drum machine exercise. Like nearly all of the tracks on Effigy Seed<\/i>, it\u2019s decidedly NSFW.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurvival\u201d dials back the machine gun rhyming in favor of a more laid back approach; vocal harmonies, alluring synth textures and a simple drum machine beat make it one of the album\u2019s most accessible cuts. And things only get better: Debrissa McKinney makes a guest appearance on \u201cShine.\u201d Her sultry harmonies and some tasty electric piano runs combine to create the best \u2013 and most song-based \u2013 track on the disc.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat to Say\u201d reverts to the 808-and-vocal approach. It pales in comparison to \u201cShine\u201d but does underscore the point that Effigy Seed explores more than one corner of the musical landscape. As the track unfolds, its musical textures become more complex and memorable.<\/p>\n
A clattering drum figure opens \u201cNo Cereal.\u201d The catchy track eventually reveals itself as a kind of Effigy Seed sampler, trafficking in all of the musical areas within the duo\u2019s remit; it\u2019s not quite trip-hop, but does approach that kind of feel. The next track, \u201cStockholm\u201d is similar, bringing continuity to a grab-bag set of songs.<\/p>\n
\u201cZe Darkest Ensemble\u201d features the album\u2019s most fully-developed musical bed; left as an instrumental, it could have served as a kind of Tangerine Dream-like ambient work. But rap and sung vocal parts add additional layers of interest. Again offering sharp contrast, \u201cCuttin\u2019 It\u201d features a somewhat underdeveloped musical track \u2013 handclaps and beats, with occasional bass stabs \u2013 and an old-school rap that checks off the obligatory dollar-sign and N-word boxes. Some watery Leslie speaker effects redeem the track toward its end.<\/p>\n
Effigy Seed<\/i> concludes with \u201cFlood.\u201d Like \u201cNo Cereal,\u201d the track\u2019s arrangement folds in most every tool in the duo\u2019s musical arsenal: vintage beats, synth textures from the analog-to-digital transitional are, soulful singing and old-school rapping. Depending on one\u2019s perspective, the album as a whole is either uneven or varied; either way, it\u2019s rarely less than intriguing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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