AraabMuzik: Electronic Dream

AraabMuzik
Electronic Dream
Rating: Grrrr

AraabMuzik, Rhode Island producer Abraham Orellana, is more known for his work in hip-hop circles, crafting beats on his MPC drum machine for artists like Cam'ron & Vado, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes and Fabolous. With the release of his mixtape Electronic Dream, AraabMuzik confounds expectations by creating one of the strangest and most eclectic collections of genre mashing. The album almost reads like a history of electronic music; breathlessly moving from hip-hop, electro, house, techno, bass music, and beyond. If there is one section you don't enjoy you need only wait a few seconds for it to transition to another genre.

The front quarter of the album leans heavily towards house music with judicious use of diva vocal samples, tweaked slightly, but punctuated with crisp, gun-shot forceful drum programming. Using a sample from Jam & Spoon's "Right in the Night (Fall in Love With Music)," "Golden Touch" slinks along on a trance bed of house beats before being cut up by his darker beats.



Utilizing DJ Nosferatu's "The Underground Stream" on "Underground Stream", AraabMuzik builds almost unbearable tension with his beats and snippets of vocal screams, before a hardcore techno breakdown takes it home.



The mid-section becomes more pronounced with rave-like movements, like the anthemic synths of "Lift Off."



While the back end of the album languidly take things home. "Feelin So Hood" could fit easily within the Brainfeeder catalog alongside Flying Lotus and Teebs. Skittering, nervous percussion playing around a Starchaser sample.



Ending track "Lost In A Maze" borrows and tweaks post-dubstep's use of pitchshifted vocals over stuttering clips and clops.



Electronic Dream speaks to me because of its restlessness and ingenuity, and while it sounds warm and inviting, it is not overproduced within an inch of its life. Also, the beats and use of odd samples always keeps you a little on edge, ratcheting up the tension then releasing it in a whirl of synths. It is an exciting album that announces a new talent to watch closely.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.