Muggs
Dust

That Lawrence Muggerud, also known as Dj Muggs, was an extremely eclectic producer, as well as an immense genius, was widely known, it's obvious to mention his early productions for his crew Cypress Hill (the masterpiece "Temples Of Boom" above all), and his solo CDs focused on collaborations with the most illustrious names in Hip Hop (how can we not mention the valid saga "Soul Assassins").

It was equally easy to notice how this Italian-American DJ constantly traveled light years ahead of the dense crowd of colleagues, who at that time were limited to the well-tested clichés of double H. Him? Lyrical sampling, beats bordering on madness, indecipherable skits halfway between electronic, experimental, ambient, TRIP HOP. Here, exactly the notorious Bristol Sound is the genre that the charismatic Muggs embraces in 2003 with the release of "Dust." Such compositions are certainly not new for him, Muggs likes the genre, and it's been understood for a while, both with the already cited instrumental skits that illuminated the albums of B-Real & associates, and (especially) with the album Juxtapose (a joint project with the legendary Tricky).

The album can be broadly framed within the genre of the latter, but it would be somewhat limiting; knowing the character, it was legitimate to expect experiments of all kinds, swerves towards other worlds, completely different from the glorious genre that benefited so much the various Massive Attack, Portishead. It's not hard, in fact, to encounter psychedelic episodes such as "Dead Flowers", moments aimed at rock ("Faded", "Rain"), but also Hip Hop beats (read "Fat City") that remind us he fundamentally emerged first and foremost as an HH producer. Menacing and grim atmosphere, bursts of pain, depressing chords, obsessive beats, disturbing samples, fairy voices, an excessively Dark atmosphere, everyday bread for our hero, all stylistic choices expressed in most of his works, and that have undoubtedly made him the most unusual beatmaker in Hip Hop history. The ever-present electronic matrix also recurs on this solo work, and tracks like "Shadows", "Cloudly Days" with their spatial sounds, or the seductive glitch-ambient "Niente", are the most concrete proof. Great guests are not missing; Everlast (already part of House Of Pain, a project that for a certain period also saw Muggs involved as a DJ), signs "Gone For Good"), Josh Todd of Buckcherry appears in the rockier tracks, Amy Trujillo lends her sensual voice in a good 6 of the 14 tracks (zoom in on "Tears", which highlights the author's entire mental strangeness, and "Believer" in which rock, trip hop, hip hop, glitch coexist peacefully.

And how can you not be hypnotized by the wonderful "Morta" (the occurrence of these Italian titles is a tribute to his Italian roots), where Amy exceeds with an extremely high-level vocal performance that perfectly matches the mysterious percussion, the xylophone, the eerie blend of children's laughter and cries, the evocative strings put together by Lawrence. The passion for deviant skits recurs on "Blip", a track with clear noise hints. Trip Hop is fully enjoyed on "I Know", and "Far Away", which, however, do not remain free from Muggs' typical explorations (just think of the Gothic influences of the former, and the prog ones of the latter.)

It is a daunting task to list all the genres that find space in this remarkable work, Muggs has dealt with everything in his almost two-decade-long career, it's safe to bet on more twists in the future, embracing other genres and new worlds, by now nothing would surprise me anymore.

In conclusion, I would like to quote some of his statements from an interesting interview in Pig magazine:

"The psychedelic music my brothers listened to in the '70s. I've always listened to everything both at home and outside. Hip hop helps you be open to all influences. I've always loved Pink Floyd and hope their sound is heard in this album"

"There are many genres and a lot of freedom from you in Europe. It seems similar to me to the spirit of the early hip hop. There are no restrictions or barriers. Even with Cypress Hill, we have always tried not to fit into the patterns."

Ladies and gentlemen, a bow, how can you not have profound and unlimited esteem for this divinity of music? His line of thought is the same as mine, a symbiosis of ideas that has increasingly contributed to making me appreciate this valiant producer, and many of you, whether it's kids fixated on metal, or rappers who shoot MTV commercial hits, should learn, and a lot, from this man.

Believe me, if you want to listen to a record that falls out of any kind of schematization, "Dust" is the right title. It's impossible not to be struck, impossible not to ask for another 5 stars for the rating, a work as fascinating as it is intense, the sample-collage speaks for itself; if only it had come out 10 years ago, "Mezzanine" and "Dummy" would have trembled!