Customer Reviews

Burner

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

you have to be in the mood for something like this, i think. it borders on being "ambient" at times, and i hate the word "ambient", so that's actually a good thing here. i was not familiar with this guy beforehand, but knowing the anticon collective/label, i expected the experimental factor would be through the roof.
it was not as offbeat as i thought it might be, and that's a good thing. i was afraid it'd get too arty and i'd lose interest, but this has enough happening to keep you hooked. some songs are merely interludes, others are quuite lengthy, and this is, more or less, an instrumental record. there are sampled voices, and there may even be some genuine vocals, but all are used more as instruments, and less as tool to deliver a story, so make of that what you will.
the only thing this kept reminding me of was the icelandic band Sigur Ros. there are similar sounds alot of the time, and the tempo is about the same. this strikes me as a record that is as close to hiphop as most sigur ros fans would get. that said, this certainly isn't what i'd call a hiphop record, no matter how far one might stretch the definition to avoid pidgeonholing hiphop. it's more a view into a dj's cluttered, collaged, dark heart. i get the feeling that this guy could take any sound he was a fan of and incorporate it into his work, and it would all feel at home. and that honesty alone is plenty refreshing.

Loopy Goodness!

Odd Nosdam, former member of the crazy experimental atmospheric hip-hop group cLOUDEAD, gives us yet another solo album. His third try finally hits the mark, molding lotsa sounds together to create one great sound.

If you are at all familiar with Anticon Records releases, you won't really be surprised by this album's sound. However, if you've never heard of cLOUDEAD, Why? or Themselves, then boy are you in for a treat.

What these guys do is they make hip-hop really weird and atmospheric-like. They fill in the spaces between the beats with fuzz and loops. They use really random samples to enhance their music. Etc. This album gives a great example of these random samples being used correctly.

Other Nosdam solo albums were good, but just like Why? and cLOUDEAD, they could get kinda too weird sometimes. Thankfully, both Nosdam and Why? made their albums more cohesive and accessible in 2005. They also made a bunch of songs on each album catchy as hell.

You'll see what I'm saying when youre listening to Burner and you get the the songs "Untitled 1," "Untitled 3," and "11th Ave. Freakout pt. 2." My gosh, these are GREAT songs. Especially Freakout. It's got to be one of my favorite songs of last year...(sorry, can't talk now...am listening to Freakout pt 2...)

Ahem. It's over.

Not to say that the music doesn't get kinda freaky on this album (try "Cloudead" or "Gun") - it just gets less freaky less frequently, that's all. It's also kind of cool that he brings people like Dosh (electronica/atmosphere), Jessica Bailiff (slow and dark music), and Andrew Broder (guy from Fog, similar to the Anticons) into the production of this album. It paid off.

I'll end this by saying the album can get quite mezmorizing at times. So if you want to get mezmorized by at least 4 songs, buy Burner.

i must agree with the first review, this isn't hiphop. and for me thats just fine.don't get me wrong, i love my daedelus,dabrye,and the very talented scott herren,but only when it's more sound, beat collage no rap-n-rymn guest vocals.not that i even consider this close to those artists. like i said,i have too agree with the first review, this is different and dead on about the vocal useage and close on the lo fi minimal flow but i really don't like to compare or pigeonhole a new artist or project because just like anything new with experimental process be it music,art,writing etc. just because i do all the above and really have no desire for vocals in song verse unless it's like this or sampled to flow with the beat.so again i think the first review pretty well sumed it up,very good ear.i know,this is what i do.

Interesting, sort of ambient stuff - when Mike Patton's voice spoke though my headphones, it was a highlight for me listening though the disc.

I am not condoning drug use by any means, but the way you consume this album will greatly change your opinion of it. Nosdam's fourth solo album is also his most coherent and streamlined. The samples he selects are used to embellish his own productions rather than create new songs and they are as varied as "Donkey Kong" to "Titticut Follies" to "Night of the living dead." The entire album seems to build up to the Patton collaboration "11th Ave Freakout Pt 2" which oozes and bubbles along wonderfully then crawls back down to nonsense production like "upsetter". The album does work, but it's nowhere near as interesting or wild as "No more Wig for Ohio" or "Plan 9" or even the beat's he's made for Peeping Tom or Sage Francis. The album as a whole is forgettable but don't you dare sleep on tracks like "Untitled Pt. 1, 11th Ave Freakout Pt.2, or Flying Saucer Attack."

Somewhat disappointing (debut?? no...) album from Nosdam, who in my opinion, did a better job with No More Wig For Ohio and his very creative Le Mix Tape Deluxe albums. Not a failure, but Burner is very much a disjointed album nonetheless.

This kid has talent for days, and just when you figure that out he comes out with something like this. Do your self a favor and just go buy it! If you can't feel this, than go buy yourself some taste.