 | Tracklist:
1 Let There Be Horns
2 Games You Can Win (feat. Kenna)
3 Giant Squid
4 Salud 2
5 The Glow
6 A Spaceship for Now
7 The Shining Path (feat. Phonte)
8 Crumbs Off the Table (feat. Aaron Livingston)
9 A Son’s Cycle (feat. The Catalyst, Illogic & NP)
10 Tin Flower (feat. Heather Fortune)
11 Small Plans
12 Gypsy Caravan
13 The Stranger
14 Walk With Me
Release Date: 01/19/2010 | |
| | other reviews | Smevin Bravis (3.5)
The Colossus may not be as grandoise as was intended, but it does show an artist gaining momentum in... |
On 3 Lists
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| Summary: Poppy future-funk at its best. |
Initially billed as an innovator in the vein of Dan the Automator on Deadringer, Ramble John Krohn surprised critics, fans, and label Def Jux alike with the 180 degree turn of The Third Hand. Not only a different direction for his art, but also a significant compositional step backwards, this release divided his fan-base and scuttled any hype from his cult favorite debut. With this in mind, it seems that RJD2 is working hard to make amends with his 4th official LP; not only is this poppy future-funk at its best, but The Colossus is proof that this new artistic direction does indeed have potential.
Still exhibiting the organic traits inherent on the near-OCD live instrumentation obsession of Third Hand, this time around RJD2 infuses his seemingly departed production expertise to superb results. Whether it's the sub-orbital, volume- and tone- swelling synths of the epic "A Spaceship For Now" or the reverb-laden harmonic minor choruses of "Let There Be Horns", he delivers his trademarked brand of 21st century hip-hop in spades. After proving his talents for production still exist, Krohn still finds time to creatively indulge in the simplistic pop of his last effort, yet this time with more variation and top-notch guest appearances in Kenna, Phonte, and Aaron Livingston. "A Son's Cycle" whets one's appetite for the possibilities of a non-instrumental hip-hop joint with 3 distinctive, multi-layered beats weaving in and out of each other brilliantly. This one definitely hearkens back to Deadringer's "Final Frontier", especially on the tongue of wordsmith Illogic.
The multi-genre approach of The Colossus is refreshing, especially following such a poor career move. That isn't to say The Third Hand wasn't very good - when you're considered by many to be one of the best up and coming production gurus, you damned well better deliver something that at least uses your renowned abilities and not some kind of mid-life crisis organic "experiment". The best summary for the entire record is a combination of back to back tracks "The Stranger" and "Walk With Me", showcasing a logical extension of Deadringer highlight "The Horror" and an expansion of his newfound poppy direction, respectively. But even though The Colossus shines in this coexistence, it's difficult to imagine where RJD2 would be today had he expanded his revolutionary vision at the beginning of the decade.
Highlights:
"Let There Be Horns"
"A Spaceship for Now"
"A Son's Cycle"
"The Stranger"
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
Stream is up at his myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/rjd2
enjoy
Digging: Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty | | | Album Rating: 3
RJD2 is good again? cool
Digging: Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca | | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
yeah i thought it would suck based on his EP from a month or so ago. not the case.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
i'm not big on harmonic minor choruses, might pass on this
Digging: P.O.S. - Audition | | |
hope this good. the third hand was a steamy pile of shit
Digging: Sublime - Sublime
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
i'm not big on harmonic minor choruses, might pass on this
what. its not like theyre on more than 1 or 2 songs...
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This is the first positive review I've read of this. I'm going to check it out eventually, I liked the single, but there's too much other stuff I need to listen to first.
Digging: Castevet - The Echo and the Light
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
I haven't really seen any reviews for this. and don't pay attention to ratings on RYM, most people there are mega snobs when it comes to contemporary music.
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never listened to The Third Hand
this guy throws out great beats
Digging: The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
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only rjd2 i've heard is deadringer, so i'll probably pick this up
Digging: Four Tet - Rounds
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
this takes a lot of the concepts off deadringer and makes them a bit funkier/ more accessible. it's basically what third hand should have been.
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cool, I'll listen to this.
Digging: Menomena - Mines
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
good review, i didnt particually like this though.
Digging: Foals - Total Life Forever | | | Album Rating: 2.5
what. its not like theyre on more than 1 or 2 songs...
i was just poking fun at you
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Does this mean poppy future funk will only ever amount to a 3.5? Because that's the coolest genre name I've ever heard. Nice review.
Digging: Merchant Ships - Shipsography
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
dont poke at me im fragile
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Nice review. I was pretty high on RJD2 from Soul Position (although I have to be in the right mood fro Blueprint) and Magnificent City but yeah, The Third Hand sucked balls. I'll check this out later on tonight on the myspace.
Digging: Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III of IV)
| | | Album Rating: 3
You didn't like his EP from last month? It wasn't bad 3/5 for me.
Digging: PJ Harvey - Dry | | | Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off
Good review, checking this out right now, so far so good. Let There Be Horns is cool.
Digging: Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty | | |
This sounds like it might be disappointing. Nevertheless, I'll get around to it at some point.
Digging: Devil Sold His Soul - Blessed & Cursed
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