Saul Williams
The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of NiggyTardust!

THE REVIEW

If Saul Williams were to gain evident media exposure and a substantial listener base - as he actually would have already deserved in the past (considering he has two excellent albums behind him) - thanks to the genesis that led to the birth and creation of "The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of NiggyTardust!", as well as how it will be distributed, it would be symptomatic of the functioning modes of the mechanisms that govern the current sound world, but still welcome... (although a bit of resignation clearly emerges from my words).

The fact is that, besides myself, even Mr. Trent Reznor is a declared admirer of the poet, writer, actor (leading, among others, in 'Slam', a film awarded at the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes), philosopher and musician from Newburgh (New York) and has therefore actively collaborated in the realization and production of the fifteen tracks and then supported the cause (besides promoting it directly on his website) so that the record would see the light exclusively via the web, with the same option exercised by Radiohead, namely a choice between a $5 payment or completely free. All this is important, but for reasons and logic that go beyond the sound strictly intended and concerns us to a certain extent because what should lead you to obtain the work is the fact that it is an extremely interesting piece (mixed by Alan Moulder, whose resume includes Jesus And Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Smashing Pumpkins, Prick, Cure, etc.).

Defined by Williams himself as "ghetto gothic... hard-core dance", it offers us a snapshot of crossover classification updated to the new millennium, where hip hop and electronics (already contaminated by Nine Inch Nails) unite, separate, travel following different paths, meet digital soul, rock, dubstep, spoken word and metropolitan settings, through compositions developed, developed with intelligence and creativity, rich in details, sounds, and samples ("Tr(n)igger" is almost entirely built on samples of "Welcome To The Terrordome" from "Fear Of A Black Planet" by Public Enemy).

Kudos to Saul Williams (and Trent Reznor).