Madlib
The Beat Conductor EP

Madlib, born Otis Jackson Jr., is a figure with beatmaking in his veins, a rare case of an artist in whom hyperproductivity and quality are not two irreconcilable elements, but rather inseparable from each other. The son of singer Otis Jackson and nephew of Jazz trumpeter John Faddis, young Madlib grew up in an environment conducive to his development, literally devouring loads of records every day: Sun Ra, Melvin Van Peebles, Galt McDermot, Pharoah Sanders soon became his daily bread, in addition to Old School and first-generation Rap (Run DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul etc...).

Frequenting the Californian Hip-Hop scene of the Bay Area since the early '90s, our protagonist also honed his skills as a rapper and, above all, as a producer, soon completing the evolution of a unique and inimitable style that, while not deviating excessively from the classic sounds of the genre, enriches them with unusual drum patterns, an "impressionistic" use of the sampler, and a preference for strange and sophisticated grooves, leading him to establish himself and receive acclaim from every listener tired of the usual "boom-cha + overused Funk sample." The "The Beat Conductor EP" is a work that more than ever exalts Madlib's immense abilities in constructing musical tapestries, as well as his very personal diggin' (the compulsive listening of vinyl for sampling purposes). Released in 2001 exclusively as a bootleg, the EP consists of 13 brief instrumental tracks for a little over a quarter-hour of total duration. Nothing special, you might say. Absolutely not, "The Beat Conductor EP" is a small sample of gems, a lesson in style for every new beatmaker and anyone with a particular predilection for the musical component of Rap.

After the introductory "Earth Rhymes", one is pleasantly surprised by "Conducted Rhymes" and its whimsical interplay of scratch, vocal samples, and engaging bass lines. The low-fi minimalism of the subsequent "Collie And Beer" serves as a prelude to the two biggest jewels of the record, the very short "Breaks Of Meditate Pt. 1", all wawa and overwhelming echoes, and the phantasmagoric collage of samples in "Elements For Mr. Crabfeather". We continue on the same wavelength, with the "Shaolin" atmospheres of the dark "Blades" and the funky "Ashby Road", which cleverly recomposes a sample taken generously from Dorothy Ashby's "Dorothy's Harp", up to the concluding and very jazzy "Mindtouch", featuring one of our genius' many alter egos, Yesterday's New Quintet.

In short, nothing indispensable (given the difficulty in finding it), but highly recommended for the curious, for those who believe that Rap is made by Tiziano Ferro and a few others, and for anyone who loves to collect every subtle and imperceptible rustle produced by this madman.