On the evidence of this who cares whether it’s a nanny, tranny or even fanny in Manhattan as New York Hip producer and all round sonic activist, Tony Simon does what al queda failed to do: he knocks it down, he builds it up and adds layers of sweeping horns, orchestras and multiple beats to create something that whilst not ‘grabbing you by the heart’ as some critics suggest does engage you in an epic cerebral challenge; more a Scrabble you play with beats or a musical Rubik’s cube, boasting a bewildering range of moves, eerie options and double and treble word scores.
In a fashion that recalls the lively, rubbery antics of bands like Lemon Jelly, Blockhead makes use of recurring, central themes, which morph and evolve and eventually spill or explode. And it’s an approach that brings back the whole concept of multi-dimensions to hip-hop. It’s a kind of post-mortality thing where bodies and souls disperse amongst the ether. There’s elements of bossa colliding with afro, afro colliding with lounge, lounge with gospel, gospel with blaxploitation, and blaxploitation with voodoo. It’s like a thousand years of ancient and modern culture stuffed into an iPod and shuttled-off into space: creepy, ancestral, primordial and crammed with unpredictable intentions. And best of all it crawls around at it’s own languorous pace.
Arriving shortly in an orbit near you.