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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The next big thing from Warp, June 4, 2001
Warp records paraded out an immensely impressive stable of artists over the past decade. Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher, and now Prefuse 73. The first four of the aforementioned artists have made indelible impressions on electronic music (and beyond). I predict Scott Herren, the man behind Prefuse 73, will as well. Herren has been making music under a variety of monikes since 1997. Most notably as Delarosa & Asora for the Schematic Label, and as Savath & Savalas for the Hefty label. These releases are mellow, almost atmospheric collections. Prefuse 73 material while containing similar gentle melodies is hip-hop, cut up an turned inside out. Many electronic artists have used record scratching from the outset and collaborations with MCs has been all the rage for a couple of years. Prefuse 73's efforts to combine 'glitch' and hip-hop really raises the bar. This release comes close to reconciling IDM with its hip-hop origins. Its an intoxicatingly fresh mix of sounds. This album is full of hot beats and cut up vocals. The sound has been labeled 'blip hop', which I find unfortunate as Prefuse 73 is anything but the intellectual, distant sounds that moniker evokes. Yes, theres a lot of programming trickery at work, but first and foremost this album is full of grooves, record scratching, and wicked break beats. Unlike many of his peers, Herren knows how to keep his songs succinct and the pace moving. Most of these tracks clock in around three minutes. This album is a natural extension for fans of Boards Of Canada and the like. I've even had a great deal of success getting some of my rap/hip-hop oriented friends into Prefuse 73. So if you like the stylings of such acts as Jurassic 5 and Del tha Funky Homosapien this release will also be pleasing. Jump on it now, I think Prefuse 73 will become a big name.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gentlemen, start your laugh tracks, May 22, 2002
Scott Herren,a DJ from Atlanta, put together something of a mission statement for glitch-hop with Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives. This record, I think, marks the beginning of age that will make it difficult to tell the difference between hip-hop and and an electronic scene that's been given it's first big shove in creativity in at least a few years.From the intro, a hip-hop station being tuned in and out, you'd expect this to be some underground rapper's record, but instead, the song turns out to be intrumental with fuzzy beats and ominous electonic sine waves that could've been taken from any Tigerbeat6 artist combined with tuned-in cut-up soul singers and indecipherable rapping. Why is it so indecipherable? Because Herren chops rhymes all the way down to the syllable into percussion-like sound effects. It's hard to figure out what just happened once it's over. The music of the aforementioned "Nuno" seems to be run by a machine that's being allowed to do it's own thing. There's a steady beat, but the sound effects over them seem triggered by other sound effects. Vocal snippets of Mary J. Blige-sounding singers gasping "Oh no..." and generally moaning and squealing are set off by certain beats. It's all very mathematic, but still more plain ...and urban than most of the other hip-hop you'll hear. Kraftwerk would love this stuff. Beats start and stop, vocals are slapped together for new melodies. Each song takes on unpredictable patterns that come like second nature once you get to know them All this would seem to call for the death of the MC since every song seems to splice up all but the most important phrases in their raps. But instead, you'll find out that half the songs have steady rapping. One of the most surprising is "Last Light" which features a somewhat glitched-up Sam Prekop from The Sea and Cake. He raps gently over a slow ascending/desending melody. Aesop Rock represents hardcore on the staticy "Blacklist" with a rap that could've come off of Labor Days, but somehow he gets shown up by MF Doom who comes through with "I can stop anytime I want to / Famous last words that came back to haunt you / All your life like permanent dry tears," and my favorite line, "For all's I know we been black list / For as long as the Earth rotates on a 23 degree axis." I hope this record brings some communication between hip-hop, electronica and collage artists everywhere. It's amazing what you can do when you put your heads together. Luckily, Scott Herren has those dueling personas inside him.
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
knocked out and put in the van, July 13, 2004
it all started while taking my son to the local record exchange to look at used gamecube games and I heard a curious beat with a groove that I couldn't place?
I kept listening as we looked and it sounded like the radio was in between stations (radio, television, and shortwave?)!
I couldn't help but keep listening..... it was hip hop... rap.. samples..... commercials..metal guitar.....D&B... groove .... dub w/ a twist of dance hall?
on the way out I was so worked up I had to ask the counter guy
"WHo is That!!!???
Prefuse 73 vocal studies and uprock.
...... "what???"
he said it again.
Now.... I'm 40 yr old black REPUBLICAN that remembers the begining of hip hop and knew it wasn't a fad in 1977.
Prefuse 73 is Glitch Hop and has to be the one night stand of Kraftwerk ,Art of Noise, yellow magic orchastra, and some of blackest most militant straight out of brooklyn public enemy with a pinch of KRS1 hip hop
Those homeless guys you see argueing and apologizing to themselves?.......... this is want their listening to!
I love it!!!! IT MAKES ME DRIVE FAST
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by Prefuse 73 
