REX REY - The Raw Deal Volume 1 - 2008 - Album review

REX REY – The Raw Deal Volume 1 – 2008 – Album review
HIGHLIGHTS: Me Castiga – Turn Of The Century – Super Duper
SOUNDBITE: It’s instrumental folks!
RATING: 4/5
Coffeetablists unite once more! This is 18 tracks of atmospheric instrumentals that means you can all put DJ Shadow’s hyphy-flavoured ‘midlife-crisis’ and RJD2’s rejection of sampling behind you for Rex Rey is here! But why should the rest of us give a shit? Well - it must be because it’s easily the equal of anything else that's out there instrumental hip-hop-wise and the better of most – just as well for a man whose nom-de-plume is basically the word ‘king’ twice. The whole thing has ‘dusty groove’ written all over it and it’s Californian creator has clearly spent more time than is healthy crate-digging in obscure record shop basements and then hiding away in his own - and that’s if he’s not roping in mates (or indeed himself) to provide additional sounds. Rey manages to maintain avoid the pitfalls of instrumental tedium by the range and schizophrenic nature of his beatmaking and, at less than 40 mins long, he isn’t imposing on your time either - although (it has to be admitted) occasionally you are itching to hear a rapper flip the script over some of the beats – first track proper - Ode To Bacholy - is calling out for MF Doom for example. Me Castiga’s fat break is continually chopped with scattershot fills that provide a neat counterpoint to a mournful 1940s non-verbal vocal loop and the Latin guitar picking. The track may be intended to evoke punishment but your ears won't be suffering. Admittedly Ghosts Of Other People’s Memories veers close to instrumental prog-hop but at two minutes long you’re not in any real danger. Track titles are a different matter however but while Non-Topical Geography might again hint at the creeping menace of prog it kicks off with a drum and bass break and a sprinkling of a piano tinkle. Ah – ‘jazz n bass’ you might be thinking – I don’t go there! Well maybe not, but the rock guitar gives it an edge that might change your mind. Turn Of The Century pulls out a far eastern cello sound to which director Zhang Zhimou is fond of choreographing fight scenes and is all the better for it, while Super Duper’s decidedly funky break and electric guitar lick combo livens things up after the snoozy jazz-cigarette atmospherics of the preceding track. Overall it’s not as depressing as Shadow and more esoteric that RJD2 – so don’t expect the over-indulgent introspective gloom of Endtroducing but don’t expect an excess of instrumental block party hooks either. Face it - 80s retro is on the way out - there’s a recession on the way and as sure as day follows night a 90s instrumentalist revival must be on the cards soon. Doubtless this will initiate an onslaught of millions of dull-as-shit ‘Mo Wax’-style mogadon beats and lazy sampling combos with all the originality of a colour-photocopied banknote. Why not get on the revival early and look cool with some real shit?
Out now.
RELATED LINKS
Listen to Rex Rey – The Raw Deal Volume 1
Rex Rey - Myspace
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