Air

Chronique

For many, Dabrye's Two/Three remained the backpacking hip-hop version of a follow-up to Loveless or Use Your Illusion; it's been in the works and promised time and time over again, but with delays and other reasons always prolonging its arrival to a loyal fan base. Granted, there've been teasers in the form of 12" collaborations featuring the late, great J Dilla and Phat Kat, as well as a collaboration on the Additional Productions, Vol. 1 disc with Beans, and this 12" with Dabrye featuring MF Doom on vocals is yet another in a long line of "hold on, it's coming" singles (it's been reassured that Two/Three is slated to hit sometime in 2006) designed to tease and appease. Doom isn't exactly the star of the show here (though he does represent in fine fashion); it's clearly Dabrye and his twisted, sparse beats and wavering synth lines. It also shows progression beyond his work on One/Three and Instrmntl that he's equally concentrating on original melody lines rather than relying on dusty funk and jazz samples for instrumentation.
© Rob Theakston /TiVo