Mixtape Review: P Smoov's Face Scrunchers Vol. 1 and the Art of the Ironic Come-On
P Smoov makes music your girlfriend would leave you for. The rapper/producer, and member of Mad Rad and Fresh Espresso, has an aesthetic that drips with sex--the rhythmic slapping of skin jostles the sheets of most all of his beats. And yet there's too much ironic winking and nodding to turn off those disinclined to sleep with strangers solely because those strangers are good at their job. Even when the beat's breathing is heavy, P Smoov keeps it light.
P Smoov performs at the Go! Machine shows at the Croc Dec. 4 and 5.
Of Mad Rad's style, he told Jonathan Cunningham: "We make 'hover music.' We float above genres." Ditto for his new--and yes, sexy--Face Scrunchers Vol. 1 mix, offered for free here. Throughout the course of its 39-plus-minutes, you'll hear sounds that recall Flying Lotus, Blackalicious, Major Lazer, Simian Mobile Disco, and a gazillion others, often at once. But he doesn't hover so much as he disassembles, reorganizes, and combines glitch, electro, and the spaced-out hip-hop that left-field thinkers like Outkast delivered unto the Earth back in the day.
Indeed, P Smoov gives a nod to the Atlanta duo by occasionally injecting ATLiens' alien salutation, "Greetings, Earthlings." He also samples Jesus Christ Superstar ("You've got to be careful. You could be dead soon.") at the beginning and, later, Steely Dan's "Do It Again," which unfortunately breaks off before it's fully explored. Those dudes got the irony thing down, too, and it would be cool to hear P Smoov slick it in synths or something.
There's some rapping here, of course (yes, it's good), and plenty of shout-outs to liven things up from MCs such as Macklemore, who proclaims: "Get your face all scrunched up. Get your neck broke, bitch." Those two sentences inadvertently point out the meaninglessness of the mix's title, but coming up with one that encompasses P Smoov's sound would be tough. He's hovering, ya know. Anyway, watch your girlfriends.
2 comment(s)
Griff J says:
Photo credit? (Griff J)
Posted On: Saturday, Nov. 28 2009 @ 3:18PM
Andrew C. says:
Not into it. Very obvious production on the mixtape.
Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 29 2009 @ 4:58PM