Since touring the world and being shot twice, AraabMusik releases his long awaited album. His mixtape that helped make a name for himself back in 2011 was critically acclaimed, but will he be able to reproduce the same results this time around?…
With help from !llmind, Raiche and the infamous Harlem Shake creator Baauer, AraabMusik has created 16 individual pieces. If you have seen any live footage of him perform you will know the rapid fire fingers that he possess, it is a skill that he utilises to create all sorts of beats including hip-hop and trap.
The live drums and distant vocals of opener Adonis are reminiscent of DJ Shadow’s early works. Some tight snare rolls and underwater piano licks finish off this stunning track. It is a surprisingly strong start that contrasts his usual style, leaving a lot more room to breathe. Some friendlier tracks follow including some dubstep, harking back to the genre’s more glitzy days of Nero and Chase and Status. Track 4 however is the first to really lower the tone and move into trap territory, even its title Loud is enough to set the tone. Everything is there that you want from a dark gangster beat, stuttering minimal hats, synth bells and a seriously funky low frequencies. The bass line almost sounds like a guitar and really sets this one apart from the traditional 808 / 909s, favoured by many trap producers.
Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before more grating sounds and bigger build-ups made their way onto the album. Even though these are actually executed well they still tarnish the experimental sounds that preceded them. I’m sure with dubstep’s sub-genre “riddim” gaining a lot of attention stateside, these robotic monsters will be going down a treat during his tours. Mind Trip follows and sits comfortably in the realms of BBC Radio 1 daytime listening, with a gorgeous female pop vocal that’s bound to stick in heads. More live instruments seem to dominate the soundscape and the results are beautiful, another bass line full of natural groove tops it off.
The heavily anticipated Baauer collaboration echoes the same attention to detail but chooses a more obvious palette of samples, with some mean 808 bass hits and cavernous tuned percussion. However familiar some of the elements are, they have both managed to take them somewhere new; sloppy claps and slaps keep you on your toes during Senor Breakfast. AraabMusik’s incredible talent for finding samples and breaks is so apparent throughout but Faded really is in a league of its own, where a glossy blend of chilled out horns and backing vocals float around a dusty jazz kit. It really doesn’t need to progress much from there, as it softly loops the subtle developments retain the tracks energy.
Listening through the next few tracks we hear influences from dubstep and dancehall, the highlight coming from War Cry. A tribal vocal repeats over some industrial beats, truly one for the dance floor. The album concludes with 3 of its collaborations of which Dream featuring !llmind and vChenay is a definite winner. The other two leave a lot to be desired and feel disjointed from the rest of the album. Its contrast so far between commercial, club ready and underground has so far worked but Waiting For sounds like a blatant shot at the mainstream.
Even for its flaws there are so many positive surprises on this release, from some screw face drops to intricate compositions; it has real depth. It only had small doses of the super fast MPC sampling technique that he is known for live, this gave him a chance to slow down and prove himself as a beat maker. The production value is top quality throughout, even during his less tasteful moments and many of the collaborations have been a success. Come and see us at your local Richer Sounds to test it out on a separate hi-fi system and see what you think.
