Black Milk - Tronic
(Fatbeats) CD
It’s true that J Dilla is being ceaselessly mined in the post-humous, but his organic-wonk-jazz-funk has been nothing short of a revelry for those seeking new avenues out of hip-hop’s filthy mirrored back alleys. Detroit native Black Milk (along with Madlib, Dabrye & Shape Of Broad Minds among others…) has managed to echo Dilla & continue his legacy of rhythmic experiments. The extra bonus with Black Milk is: he’s not a shitty rhymer. He’s got mad swagger & the right amount of flow to even out the bumps on the quirky, un-quantized road of breaks that Dilla paved. “Bounce” pits analog synth arpeggios against the familiar off-center kicks & snares that have come to typify the Detroit sound so well. The Motor City’s sound is now equal parts hip-hop & techno, as robotic lines, arpeggiation & synths litter the soul & jazz funk. A nice retreat from the idiocy of southern-fried lethargy.