ALBUM REVIEW: Death Grips- N**gas on the Moon
Note: For purposes of sanity and artistic integrity, I will not be censoring the word “Nigga” in this review. I won’t use it outside of referring to the name of the project, and if this offends you, you should probably just read another article or something. Also, I’m entirely aware of the “incomplete” nature of this project, and I am reviewing these 8 tracks as their own independent entity. They may change in perspective when the other half of the project is revealed, but for now, these 8 tracks make up this project, and I’m reviewing these tracks on their own.
Death Grips are a band that revel in unpredictability and experimentation. They’ve been so randomly prolific over the past couple of years that people can forget how strange and bizarre their music is. When Niggas on the Moon dropped Sunday night (P.S.: There is nothing more exciting than when an artist randomly drops a project like this.), some people on Twitter groaned at the now “predictable” nature of Death Grips. However, as someone who still finds this band vital and entertaining, this project’s release-not even the project itself- was one of the best moments in music this year.
Death Grips, even though they have a general aesthetic, never do the same thing on their projects. Chastisement over their perceived “repetitiveness” may be on account of hype and the group’s innate divisive sound. While No Love Deep Web was a grimy and dirty dark project and Government Plates was an instrumental heavy project, Niggas on the Moon is their most poppy release since their 2012 grower The Money Store (A record that I once hated that I now mostly love). Part of this catchiness is a renewed emphasis on hooks, part of this rests in the renewed and newly reinvigorated MC Ride, and part of this is found in the Björk “samples”.
Björk’s involvement in the project has been the subject of much discussion, with the Icelandic singer claiming that the band used her vocals as a “Found object”. However, the use of her voice in fractured samples is one of the most effective sonic ideas that the band has ever pursued. There are plenty of songs that would have been great without the samples (Like the vicious Up My Sleeves and the glitchy Have a Sad Cum (Best Death Grips song title ever, by the way)). The modulation of electronics and MC Ride on these tracks works brilliantly, and it would make the project decent on its own. But Björk’s vocals add a strange ethereal quality to all of the songs they are prevalent on. One of the weakest tracks here, Say Hey Kid, is noticebly lacking in clear Björk samples (She may be there, but the sampling veils her voice too well). The way her beautiful soaring voice is broken into these shattering beats is fascinating and endlessly entertaining. It’s a collaboration that, on paper, doesn’t make sense. In execution, it works incredibly well.
On a song like Fuck Me Out, the warped and skittering sound of Björk’s crashing vocals creates a chaotic sound that echoes MC Ride’s panicking vocals. The same happens on the screeching Voila, with MC Ride calmly repeating “Voila!” over Björk’s breakneck vocals. The clashing synths on these tracks come in and out, taking a back seat to Björk most of the time. Zach Hill also brings a lot of great drumming to tracks like these. The breakdown towards the end of Voila has Hill violently losing it on the drum set in front of some horrifying screeching. It’s a song that, while not heavy on replay value, is absolutely fascinating to sit through.
Niggas on the Moon is a short project (because it’s part of a greater whole), and this does make it one of the most enjoyable Death Grips projects yet. The concentration of ideas works better here, with the unrelenting punch of the sound not wearing out. While it does lag a bit in the middle with songs that aren’t as great as the bookend tracks (Say Hey Kid is a bit bland and retreads former territory, Fuck Me Out doesn’t hold up with repeat listens). But the songs that surround the middle section are some of the best songs Death Grips have ever made. Up My Sleeves rivals Government Plates’ opener in terms of pure violent energy, while Big Dipper’s chaotic closing rivals Whatever I Want (Fuck Who’s Watching) and Hacker as the band’s best closer yet. The use of Björk samples throughout the album is also a welcome experiment, as it mostly works incredibly well. The electronic freakout towards the end of Big Dipper is absolutely fascinating, and the use of an unbroken Björk samples over the glitchy synths creates a moment that actually transcends into true beauty. Death Grips themselves still show that they’ve got more energy than most punk bands that still make music these days, and they’ve proven once again that they’re a forward thinking group that you shouldn’t mess with.
Summary: Niggas on the Moon is an energetic, short, and exciting project that once again brings a new idea to their sound that works brilliantly; the use of Björk throughout the 8 songs is some of the best sampling that the band has ever done.
Choice Cuts: Up My Sleeves, Black Quarterback, Big Dipper
Leftovers: Say Hey Kid
B+
You can stream the entire project below.
ALBUM/MIXTAPE REVIEW: Death Grips- Government Plates
There’s a wide range of opinions on Death Grips, the Punk-Hop group from Sacramento. Some love their abrasive sound and “I Don’t Give a F*ck” attitude. Others loathe their childish antics and very unorthodox sound. I mean, music aside, I’ve found their behavior over the past few years to at least be somewhat entertaining (Though incredibly douchey). The way they present themselves is just as spontaneous and unnerving as the music they make. The release of their latest album/mixtape, Government Plates, follows this through. Almost out of nowhere, they dropped this with little to no warning for free on the internet, which made for quite an interesting Wednesday afternoon.
Like all three of their projects before, Government Plates is a loud and abrasive affair. But, once again, they’ve tweaked their sound to bring something new to the table. After the dark and brooding nature of NO LOVE DEEP WEB, this album is a frantic and production driven work that once again sees the band pushing in a new and fresh direction. Even though my praise for NO LOVE DEEP WEB was, at best, rather lukewarm, I still felt that they could deliver something astounding if they put a little more time into it. Government Plates isn’t a landmark in experimental Hip-Hop, but it’s probably their most consistent and well executed projects yet.
The opening track, the obnoxiously titled* You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it’s your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat, is one of the most vicious and devastating tracks I’ve heard this year. The synthesizers sound absolutely hungry and empowered, while Zach Hill’s drumming absolutely shines. MC Ride’s delivery is loud and angry, but it’s not as overbearingly self-centered as it was on NO LOVE DEEP WEB. Death Grips have always done a great job with album openers, but this might be their strongest effort yet.
While NLDW seemed focused on MC Ride’s antics and anguish, Government Plates turns the tables and puts more emphasis on the production work, which yields fantastic results. Here, Ride’s vocals tend to meld into the music more like an instrument, becoming a piece of a whole rather than the “MC Ride & Death Grips” sound from NLDW. The strong production work has songs swirl around in intoxicating synth loops and brooding bass drops. The vocal modulation on songs like Anne Bonny comes across as less gimmicky and more purposeful, with Ride melting into the sound rather than standing in front of it. The punchy synths on This is Violence Now sound like explosive lasers, and there’s even some dance beats in there for good measure. Plus, there’s some really great drumming from Zach Hill all over this record, and he takes a lot more prominence than I’ve heard before. Death Grips have a lot of great ideas, and luckily these ideas never overstay their welcome.
Death Grips manage to make a lot more good moves than bad on this latest project, with shorter track lengths and more succinct songs. A lot of great songs here stay under 4 minutes, and that keeps everything fresh and moving along. It’s as if they took the brooding sounds from NLDW and put them into the shorter form that made The Money Store so great. The first half of this record (Much like the first half of The Money Store) speeds through like a bullet, and it’s some of the most engaging and enthralling stuff you’ll hear this year.
The later half finds the sound leaning more towards production than MC Ride, which manages to be at least interesting. While the beats on songs like Feels Like a Wheel and I’m Overflow are monsters, the usage of MC Ride on these tracks comes across as being slightly underwhelming. However, the sweet electronic dance and energy on these tracks make them at least good, even though they could use some more Ride. Big House is another track on the back half that puts production in the forefront. The beginning focuses on this vicious, almost electronic psychedelic, sound, but it falls into this loud bass driven sound halfway through that is absolutely mind boggling. Even though the second half isn’t as in-your-face as a lot of their past work, it’s some of the easiest to listen to (and pleasant) stuff that Death Grips have done to date.
Now, like every other Death Grips album, there are certain ideas that don’t entirely work. The ghastly guitar that plays during the verses of Birds is an absolute vibe killer and sounds more comedic than frightening. Some of the clashing on Feels Like a Wheel with the modulated vocals and the monotone synths don’t exactly work either. However, there are many more moments of brilliance on this record that more than make up for those less developed ideas.
The trance nature that comes in and out that contrasts with the loud bass drops (Most vividly illustrated with Whatever I Want (F*ck Who’s Watching)) is incredible. That track feels like vicious waves of the ocean during a hurricane, lashing against the beach and then pulling away. It’s a weirdly beautiful song, that manages to be simultaneously ethereal and abrasive. Unlike any of their past stuff, there are some subtle moments where you can get lost in the breathtaking nature of the song, or feel like your literally standing in front of a great wall of synthesizers. Even though their’ antics may be tired, clearly their ability to make interesting and provoking music is not. Despite the poor mixing throughout the tape, the music is engaging enough to make this problem easy to overlook. Death Grips are still abrasive and loud, but Government Plates takes their sound to places they’ve never been taken before. People may be mad that they canceled a lot of appearances earlier this year, but clearly those cancellations weren’t for nothing.
Summary: Government Plates is a return to form for Death Grips following the half-baked NO LOVE DEEP WEB, with succinct songs, fantastic production, and a new found confidence that proves these guys are not just flashes in the pan.
Choice Cuts: You Might Think He Loves You…, Whatever I Want (F*ck Who’s Watching), This Is Violence Now (Don’t Get Me Wrong)
Leftovers: Feels Like a Wheel
B+
You can stream the entire thing below.
*NOTE OF CORRECTION (11/15/13): Yes, the song’s title are Dylan lyrics. No, that doesn’t make the length of the track’s title any less obnoxious.
ALBUM REVIEW: Death Grips- NO LOVE DEEP WEB
This album has had a hell of a release, and it hasn’t even been 24 hours since its release. Back sometime in March, right when The Money Store blew up, Death Grips announced that their second 2012 album, originally titled No Love. It was supposed to drop later in the month (October 23rd, to be specific), but on Sunday night, Death Grips announced something special debuting at 3 AM, and lo and behold it was their now album. Not even just a stream, but a download of the album. That’s right: Death Grips (signed to Epic, which is under Sony Music) gave away their next album for free.
The whole situation is pretty awesome, despite the inevitable punishment that will follow. Death Grips tweeted that:
https://twitter.com/DeathGripz/status/252581175359594497…So it clearly isn’t label sponsored. AT ALL. I mean, the album cover (Which I mercifully posted a censored version) is an erect penis with the album’s title written on it, something that a label like Epic would never consider releasing. Also, later on the release day, Death Grips reported that Epic had even shut down their site. Needless to say, this whole thing is pretty exciting.
But Let’s get to the music itself. I liked The Money Store. I liked it. Not being a big fan of Exmilitary, it was nice to see Death Grips adapt a far more accessible sound. They kept their abrasive off-the-wall experimentation whilst throwing in some fantastic hooks for good measure. The album was a bit front-loaded, and still suffered from some problems when it came to their general sound. While they have a style that is immediately enjoyable for some, I’m not as immediately enthralled by Death Grips’ abrasive style.
Here, they’ve changed things up completely…AGAIN! Regardless of what I’m about to say, I have to give these guys credit for changing the game with every release of theirs, and it’s only been like a year and a half since Exmilitary dropped. This time, they went for something a bit more abstract. Their beats are scaled back quite a bit. They still are loud and dominating, they just aren’t as zany and busy as they were on the last two efforts. MC Ride’s voice also takes a lot more prevalence here (Which, depending on who you are, can be a good or bad thing). Also, despite showing some direction towards hooks on The Money Store, there are next to none on this album.
Since the production has kind of changed the most, I’ll address that first. On some tracks it sounds like the beats are just more aggressive Odd Future beats. I mean, Lil Boy (Which is a song I actually kind of dig) is jam packed with cheap sounding synths and some dissonant synths that were shown off on Tyler’s Yonkers. The only thing that really keeps the production this time around from being Odd Future is that the percussion (Something I’ve always liked about Death Grips) is spot on. The Money Store was memorable in that every track, regardless of overall quality, had a fantastic, infectious beat. Here, there aren’t too many beats to write home about.
There are some experimentation in the production is still there, but it’s a bit more sparse this time around. I mean, No Love (My album highlight) has one of the craziest, creepiest, and scariest beats I’ve ever heard. It just towers over everything, and feels like something dangerous is looming, but to a ridiculous degree. However, that’s really the only beat here that I can say absolutely struck me as something special. Another reason for this might be because the samples here are clearly harder to find. They managed to accent the production on their last albums perfectly, making something special. Without as many here, it feels like something’s a bit missing. They said the album would be minimal, but I didn’t expect it to be this minimal.
There are songs with miniscule elements of hooks in the beat, but there are few and far in-between. I mean, some songs are pretty fun, like Lil Boy. But really, a lot of these tracks feel like they were taken from their past work, and they just took some production out. Everything this time around is just more underwhelming.
If you read The Money Store review, you know that I’m not the biggest fan of MC Ride’s vocals. His voice works best when the songs have more pop related elements to them. However, none of the tracks come off as remotely poppy here. They all just feel like weird, underground Hip-Hop tracks. A lot of songs are abstract and lack choruses or standout moments. His shouting isn’t really aided by the fact that this album feels a bit under-produced, with his vocals sometimes sounding far less clean than on The Money Store (Maybe because of such a rushed release). MC Ride’s rhyme scheme is also considerably confusing. He doesn’t really have a flow that makes sense on any of these tracks, and just kind of talks weird over these tracks. Oh, and he shouts a lot. The only difference here is that it’s not nearly as much fun to listen to.
I will say that NO LOVE DEEP WEB has the advantage of being far more consistent than The Money Store. That album had 6 great tracks in the first half, and then the second half was incredibly unremarkable (Save album closer Hacker). Here, while not a single song reaches the greatness of I’ve Seen Footage or The Fever (Aye Aye), there aren’t any songs that come across as excruciatingly hard to listen to. In fact, there’s not a single song on here that makes me cringe a bit (Something that’s happened on all of Death Grips’ previous work). There are no “Bad” tracks on here.
The Money Store was a bit of a grower, and hell, this album might be too. However, that album did have the element of pop going for it. I’ve Seen Footage was danceable and catchy. It also had a vague sense of melody going for it. Here, it’s some repetitive beats with hooks that are just barked by MC Ride. Plus the fact that half of what he says is unintelligible makes things a bit harder, too.
NO LOVE DEEP WEB isn’t bad. I actually kind of like it. However, it’s pretty much the exact opposite of what I wanted them to do with their sound. When they started experimenting with Pop, I think they found something truly special. Something that had the potential to be game changing, to really create something that would revolutionize Hip-Hop, Pop, and Electronica. However, they took a 180 and gave us an OK minimal Underground Hip-Hop record. Needless to say, I’m a bit disappointed.
Summary: NO LOVE DEEP WEB, like every other Death Grips release, is a completely different album than the last, however this time they’ve taken a more minimal direction that is disappointing, but still confounding.
Choice Cuts- Lil Boy, No Love
3/5
NO LOVE DEEP WEB is streaming below and available for download (And probably will never ever come out on Epic)
Vantage Point Music 