Dr. Octagon
Dr. Octagonecologyst

“Rap is all the same.” An often overused statement, perhaps by the typical blackster blinded by tons of bling-bling that daily invade the screens of MTV & co. But is it true? The answer is the Dr. Octagon project.

Who is Dr. Octagon? An imaginary character, a mad gynecologist from Jupiter, born from the brilliant mind of Kool Keith (remember the Ultramagnetic MC's?), accompanied by the prolific producer Dan The Automator (among his most well-known projects are Gorillaz, Deltron 3030) and not least, the great turntablist Dj Q-Bert. A respectable trio that pulls out a masterpiece of technique and originality: Dr-Octagonecologyst (1996), the first in a long series of appearances by the unique alien (he will return later in other Keith projects following a rather complex and twist-filled concept), and certainly the best of the saga.

If Kool Keith, the mastermind of the project, plays his fundamental lyrical role, on the musical side it is especially the eclectic Japanese-American producer who deserves much credit for this work, as he takes on the role of beatmaker. His beats are above average, never conformist, nor predictable: ("Then the '90s hit and everyone wants to be Dr. Dre; no one wants to be their own thing anymore. Everyone now wants to have the Lexus and deal pounds of drugs. We don't do that. That's not our lifestyle. You don't see us coming out with the fur coat. There's more to music than that.") [!]

The research work that leads to this mix of rap, trip hop, and electronica, with crossover, jazzy, and psychedelic elements that made this album great, is excellent. The heavy use of the Minimoog is a guarantee, and those like me who appreciate the characteristic warm sound of this historic synth can't help but be intrigued by tracks like “Earth People” (a futuristic beat that's amazing) and “Wild and Crazy" (pure analogy). But there will also be opposite things like the rock-influenced “I’m Destructive” which travels on the mood hypno-psychedelic-futuristic-horror that proves to be the strong point of this platter. The spacey “3000” (year from which the bizarre doctor comes) with a bassline that sticks in your head and that big Bristolian snare opens in a way that couldn't be better to the world of Octagon, well illustrated by the laid-back but incisive rap of KK and the pornosplatter artwork of Pushead (already at work for Metallica, and Misfits). The dark “Blue Flowers” and “Halfsharkalligatorhalfman” represent the darkest you might expect from a Rap album; “No Awareness” and "A Visit to the Gynecologist" in their paranoid mystical show themselves as a kind of "summary" of what will be the atmosphere of much of the album.

Q-Bert is always majestic in scratching, present in almost all tracks. His technique finds its fullest expression on the oldschool instrumental of “Bear Witness” entrusted solely to his flair. Kool Keith, who raps and writes all the songs (brilliant lyrics wrapped in a bizarre craziness that fully reflects the doctor), proves to be a very solid rapper: the level is high on all tracks, with great flow and peaks of personality on “Wild And Crazy” and “Real Raw”, a track where it's not easy to stand out, as the vocal part is placed (as is the case in almost the entire album) in the background compared to Dan's inspired base, who for the occasion goes wild with speed changes, delay, and breakbeats that complete a powerful and incisive snare roll.  

To complete the festival of sacred monsters, DJ Shadow also intervenes by putting his hands on “Waiting List”, and KutMasta Kurt who proves his worth on the two excellent beats entrusted to him: “Technical Difficulties”, and “Dr. Octagon”. Even the skits are not boring and instead turn out to be fundamental for the development of the story, with weird-spirited dialogues, and excellent ideas like the classic sample of “I Got To Tell You” or the colossal one of "General Hospital".

One of the best releases of the nineties, a great album to dust off and easily absorbed even by those who don't usually listen to rap and such, given the many influences within it. Alternatively, there's always bling-bling on MTV.