As the man known mainly for shaping the sound of Aesop
Rock’s densely layered lyrical theses, Blockhead, the New
York City native and inveterate crate-digger steps out on his own
with a down-tempo instrumental release for the Ninja Tune label.
While Aesop could easily be at home on these beats, the music
stands on its own. The album title Music by Cavelight is truly
evocative of the mood that the record emanates.
There is an organic feel to the record, in a break with the
electronic tradition of what other hip-hop instrumentalists such as
RJD2 and Prefuse 73 are doing. Muted trumpets, ethereal vocals and
smoky pianos keep the album’s dynamics varied and
interesting. The record is reminiscent of the smoky atmospherics of
the early Bristol trip-hop and regardless of what that means to
you, it makes for an intriguing listen.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars