Record: One Word Extinguisher
Label: Warp
Year of Release: 2003
Sounds like: Hip Hop, Electronica, IDM, Plunderphonics, Percussionism
United States
Scott Herren is a producer from Miami Florida who has, Catalan, Irish and Cuban blood in his veins. he was born in Miami but grew up in Atlanta Georgia. He started playing instruments and getting involved with music at a very young age, initially introduced and persuaded by his family.
After his agile debut album (Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives, 2001).that mainly deals with hip hop production techniques, Prefuse launches in 2003 his second opus titled ''One Word Extinguisher'', which occurred during the time of the year that Herren went through a sentimental breakup,
This album featured Scott Herren as a production visionary, an innovator of sampling; an individual obsessed with textures, details, collages.
Herren managed to create with his extensive musical knowledge a great new whole full of unity and cohesion and congruence but, totally free to be aware of himself or his work or his importance as an artist
Regina says: I'd never really paid attention to Guillermo Scott Herren and Prefuse 73 until Hugo dragged me by hair and forced me to listen to it carefully on a rainy afternoon before going out for groceries. By chance I've got a couple of his records that are rarely touched, so we decided to unlock the monster. I pressed play as he (Hugo) stood behind me checking the cover of the album which,( I must say) is pretty
Prefuse 73's One word Extinguisher is smart hip hop with very solid bases that feel very artistic, in fact, it feels extremely artistic at some points. The beats and the samples are not unnecessarily used; each one completes the previous one in a very efficient and studied way,which can be good and bad at once. The album opens in a furious yet precious way with "The Wrong Side of Reflection (Intro)" ''The End of Biters'' and ''Plastic'' which sound like a long song, but they ain't. This combo embodies to me what Hip Hop should be, it's rough and sharp but it's not vulgar or obvious at all. I must say that I wish the Album followed that line instead of getting into the experimental glitch electronica leaving the street-rap aspect kinda aside, some tunes are so hypnotic and they are screaming hard for a good MC to take them to a more energetic level, unfortunately this doesn't happen which leaves me kinda disappointed and hungry for more rapped moments, (though, I understand that this is mostly, an experimental Hip Hop album rather than a rap one) which would have been mind blowing and astonishing. It is still a good record. It may get a little longuish , probably listen to it in two parts.
Rate: Recommendable
Hugo Menanth Says:This was one of my favorite records of that mystical and marvelous 2003, I thought of it while listening to the latest Avalanches album, surprised at how this noisy and programmed genome has survived for more than a decade. Prefuse 73, alongside with the Avalanches' first record, were seminal for that deconstructive surreal, hip hop/ethereal style that's been over exploited in the last 10 years by different people like Noah lennox or Animal Collective. I must recognize that it feels kinda drained out, maybe it sounds a little old right now, which doesn't affect its goodness, but makes it more vulnerable to criticism. I agree with Regina on the fact that it falls into the Polyphonic, colorful structures kinda neglecting the Rap/sung parts aside, and I agree that it would have been great to have been explored a little more in the record. However, I still think it's an amazing album of repercussions and sound assemble and gets really beautiful in some passages, though some tracks are needless and sort of enlarge the idea too much.
If you are into the electronic and experimental deconstruction of sound and its assemble, you will definitely love this record and other works by Scott Herren, if you like mostly ''Gangsta Hip Hop'', then step back.
Rate. Very Good
If you are into the electronic and experimental deconstruction of sound and its assemble, you will definitely love this record and other works by Scott Herren, if you like mostly ''Gangsta Hip Hop'', then step back.
Rate. Very Good