Sound Ancestors

Idioma disponible: inglés

For Otis Jackson, Jr.—most famously known as Madlib, one of hip-hop’s most prolific producers—beats are more than the backdrop of a record; they’re a distinct way of honoring musical history. With each sample Madlib flips, he squeezes every last drop of musicality down to its elemental form and then delivers fresh sonic bliss, each vocal line chopped to form a hypnotic trance and each groove bumping off-the-beat. On his latest release, Sound Ancestors, part of this rich sonic vault is opened, and, oh my(!), there is a lot to see.

The 41-minute project guides us through hand-picked selections, edited from thousands of unfinished beats that are stretched into a masterful, beautiful whole. Four Tet, alias of Kieran Hebdan, and the arranger of the collaborative album, saw the glimmering potential. Knowing Madlib's deft creative instinct for delivering textured and versatile tunes, he sought to bring these unearthed turns to light. The record is marked by an immense love for crate-digging—cycling eras and feel with plenty of slapping boom-bap grooves to spare. From warped-out jazz ("Sound Ancestors”) and a beatific, tripped-out lullaby ("Road of the Lonely Ones”), to sultry flamenco ("Latino Negro”) and a respectful homage to fellow beat-making pioneer J Dilla ("Two for 2 - For Dilla”), Sound Ancestors is a euphoric and disjunctive statement of an artist known for delivering on the cutting-edge.

From exploring the samples to guessing the pulse and time signature, this is truly a record to get lost in—the antithesis of the recent "Beats To Study/Relax to" fad of keeping music in the background. Sound Ancestors beckons your attention, and reveals new sonic delights with each and every listen. © William Card/Qobuz