Madlib
Sound Ancestors
Madlib Invazion
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In close to 30 years, Otis “Madlib” Jackson, Jr. has done a lot. He’s produced and rapped for the Lootpack. He’s helped create timeless albums with legends like J Dilla, MF DOOM, and Freddie Gibbs, to name a few. He’s explored a vast array of musical stylings, from Broken Beat to Indian music to African rhythms. He’s reinterpreted songs from Blue Note Records’ vast catalogue. But Sound Ancestors is the first of its kind for Oxnard’s own: a full-length, traditionally structured, instrumental album.
Madlib is no stranger to instrumental releases—he’s put out at least six entries in his ‘Beat Konducta’ series comprised of compilations that often include 30 to 40 tracks, featuring brief, all skit length “songs.” Entries often wildly shift in terms of feel and tempo.
But Sound Ancestors shares more similarities with the hip-hop producer-driven instrumental albums of the early ’00s, while still sounding current and unmistakably like Madlib. Each composition bears elements of not only his hip-hop roots but also his eclectic ear for music. Running 41 minutes long, Sound Ancestors is a relatively brief affair. Most of the songs run less than three minutes in length, but all reflect complete thoughts.
Kieran “Four Tet” Hebden played an integral role in the construction of Sound Ancestors. The British-born experimental producer and musician is officially credited for arranging, editing, and mastering the album. How much of a role he had in putting together the project’s 16 songs isn’t quite clear, however.
According to those involved with creating Sound Ancestors, Madlib sent Four Tet hundreds of files from his archives. These included beats in various stages of completion, live instrumentation that Madlib had recorded in the studio, and possibly even samples and loops that he had unearthed. Four Tet pored over the files and assembled a full-length release. It’s comparable to a writer sending an editor a bunch of poems, and the editor putting it together to form a cohesive story.
Madlib is known for his psychedelic, positively weird concoctions, and he delivers a few on Sound Ancestors. “The Call” starts things off on a relatively buoyant note, with its charged guitars and pulsing bassline. “New Normal” sounds like the product of Madlib’s experiments with live instrumentation, as a warped synthesizer plays throughout, filtering in and out with varying degrees of intensity. “Loose Goose” incorporates a staccato synthesizer track with watery vibraphone notes and vocal samples of dancehall DJ chatter.
“Road of the Lonely Ones,” the album’s first single, would sound at home on RJD2’s Dead Ringer (2002). It incorporates haunting vocals from obscure soul group The Ethics, which echo over a crispy drum pattern and wafts of acoustic guitar. “Hopprock,” the album’s second single, seems even more low-key. As a plucky guitar meanders across complex drums patterns and percussion, stabs of vocals and exhortations burst through the grooves.
Sound Ancestors works the best when it’s reserved. “Latino Negro” is efficient in its execution, mixing layers of drums with Spanish guitar. The title track works with similar competence, at first relying on slices of stripped-down percussion, then shifting to bottom-heavy bassline and a melodic flute solo. “Duumbiyay” incorporates African rhythms, as children’s chants are poured over a constantly shifted drum track and sprinkles of piano. The two-part “One For Quartabê/Right Now” is as bombastic as Sound Ancestors gets, as it pours on waves of hectic instrumentation with shouts and sound effects.
Madlib pays homage to his past achievements and partnerships on Sound Ancestors as well. “Theme De Crabtree,” “Hang Out (Phone Off),” and “Chino” invoke the stylings of mid to late ’00s Madlib, as he blends reggae and soul vocals with jazzy grooves. He honors his special kinship with Detroit-born production legend J Dilla with “Two For 2 – For Dilla,” a dedication to his longtime friend, where he emulates some of Dilla’s notable production techniques with two distinct movements.
According to Madlib, Sound Ancestors is just the beginning of what he envisions as a busy year for himself and his label, Madlib Invasion. The producer has serious ambitions for 2021, as he plans on releasing an album a month. These projects could include a collaborative album with Thundercat, as well as rumored follow-ups with Freddie Gibbs, as well as other extensive instrumental ruminations that he may have already completed. Whether or not any of this actually sees a release this year or not, Madlib has certainly started 2021 on the right foot musically. And that’s good enough for now.
Notable Tracks: “Duumbiyay” | “Latino Negro” | “Road Of The Lonely Ones” | “Two For 2 – For Dilla”
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