Customer Reviews

Reads the Books

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

 

 

prefuse has always created some brilliant tunes to chill out to... this is one of them, collaborating with the books... my god very very good..... any of prefuse 73's records are good, but this one is a must.

If you know the Books and Prefuse, then you know exactly what this collaboration will sound like. Its fantastic, don't get me wrong, but just as it starts to get going, its over. I've listened to it several times, suspecting that I would soon tire of it, but I haven't. Much like the Books' albums, they only grow over time as you engage in more in depth listening. Its actually interesting that clips from their last three albums make apppearances during the EP. However, a part of me was really expecting to be surprised by what I heard. Each of the Books' albums has been a surprise as they change and grow into their sound. So, something in me was hoping for that moment of "wow, I didn't see that coming." It never came, but the strength of this EP further lends credence to the importance of these two artists. It compliments their full-lengths, and is a must for fan of either artist. I used to be a huge fan of Prefuse (pre-surrounded by silence), and was glad to find him try his hand at something of this magnitude. Overall, a great listen, just not long enough, or adventurous enough......

While working in disparate genres, the Books and Scott Herren share a bit too much in common in the process department of their glitch leanings to augur anything truly revelatory out of this one-way collaboration. No less pleasant for the obviousness of its execution, this is a brief "read" that only offers a few standout chapters.

Listening to the results here, the simpatico between these dual forerunners of modern pop-glitch is evident, but Prefuse 73 is too tight and perhaps too careful with his source material to do anything unexpected. The lack of verve or nerve with the programming here only leads to new sonic juxtapositions--no transformations, and nothing with the inherent playful humor of The Books LPs. For one, "Pagina Cinco" is no more than the sum total of its sources from "The Lemon of Pink". Herren even retreats to the sound of his Savath and Savalas project with "Pagina Ocho", enlisting one of his vocalist collaborators for another non-starter of a track.

That being said, three tracks exhibit direction and energy. "Pagina Tres" is a short burner with some vintage Prefuse melancholic funk, and "Pagina Seis" is a strong longer piece. I also dig the interplay between the freshly chopped vocal & banjo samples and the beat clip on "Pagina Dos". Despite these standouts, this reading can't be recommended to anyone but Books diehards.

I have grown to appreciate each Prefuse 73 album, despite their sometimes extreme difference in sound. After a few full lengths and some single eps, Prefuse 73 has explored both ends of the spectrum, from a more traditional hip-hop sound to a more electronic sound. This collaboration leans much more towards the electronic side, as there aren't guest rappers on this effort. I enjoy this the most out of his works. This just doesn't sound like much else that is out there, including his other works. This ep has enough innovation to keep the listener interested, however it is possible to sit back and enjoy this shorter release without concentrating too hard either.

Musique concrete (from the Books) meets abstract hip-hop (from Prefuse 73). These two groups have so much in common, in their assemblage of sonic detritus, that it seems almost natural that they would collaborate in this way. Using The Books' previous works as source material, Prefuse 73 reshapes those bits into new forms -- a sort of reimagining. Thus, the banjo from "The Lemon of Pink" becomes the plucky backbone of "Pagina Dos." The rearrangement continues throughout, until the source of the sounds becomes irrelevant; all that remains is the final product, like the reclaimed violin of "Pagina Cinco." Claudia Maria Deheza lends her vocals to "Pagina Ocho," which sounds like a Savath + Savalas track more than a Prefuse 73 track. In other words, sublimely glitchy.

Scott is still able to surprise, pulling tricks on his unexpecting listeners. Call it whatever you will this kind of skill is rare. Though his hip hop structure stays somewhat close to its roots, this music is more about the engineered textures constructed from source clippings and shavings. The beats he carves leave scattered sawdust that absorb the nitroglycerine leaking throughout and blow it back in your face. Hating on this does not make you cool folks, it makes you wrong

First of all I'd like you to know that I have been a MASSIVE Prefuse fan for the past few years and own everything he's done. This EP however, although ambitious and setting out on a fresh creative path, really doesn't cut it. It seems to me to be a novelty album: when you talk about it, it sounds really interesting - "cut up organic folk sounds spliced into hip hop rhythms", to all intents and purposes this is true. However, the beats are monotonous, the sounds have no structure in the slightest, seeming to be arranged in thoughtlessly random patterns over uninspired drum sounds, and the beautiful harmony that I am accustomed to Prefuse layering over his rhythms is notably absent in most of this album. The 'glitch' sound was a great idea, but unfortunately the music does still have to be good to justify it. I have an unsettling feeling that Mr Herren may be veering into the territory known as "self-conscious crap". Still, this was a collaboration, which may have hindered his ideas somewhat, and Surrounded By Silence, although by no means his greatest offering did still contains some Prefuse gems. I give this a generous 3 stars.

Prefuse 73 is a band I just recently got into. This being the first thing I've heard from them, it's really quite astonishing. It's electronic music in the vein of DJ Shadow, but it also has some weird Spanish instruments in it too, along with strange vocals and violins. It's pretty relaxing stuff, but at the same time, it's good crusing music too. If you are into electronic indie music like DJ Shadow and The Books (which this E.P. is remixing, by the way), then get this. You won't be dissapointed.