Following last week’s black-and-orange bonanza from Sasketchewan, Broke Beats returns to the North Country for a posse LP that lays deep in the cut, reviving visions of a metal-fingered underground savant who has long since lost his touch.
Spacesuits is a supergroup of sorts, comprised of Moka Only, LMNO, and Mr. Brady, and their self-titled debut is worked by producer Jules Chaz. Chaz is the one channeling the Vaudeville Villain here, while Moka, LMNO, and Brady all take turns lacquering his spastic, sample-addled beats in monotone. The even-keeled flows are also word to MF DOOM, but the rotating cast keeps it fresh. Instead of a rambling, hokey diatribe about comics and food, “Spacesuits” just flows.
All except one of the 15 tracks come and go in less than three minutes, and there isn’t a chorus to be had on the whole album. Nor are the beats structured into repeating verses – they grow, flourishing with flutes and popular YouTube clips spliced in without any credence to a template. This organic movement keeps “Spacesuits” constantly refreshing. It almost seems arbitrary to separate it into separate tracks – it could just as well be a supermix.
You can tell Moka, LMNO, and Brady have a fluid dynamic. LMNO (of the legendary Visionaries collective), Moka, and Brady have a library of records between them, and they’ve come together in a tight, cohesive cypher. “Roots” is the best example of all three rappers in a perfect mode with one another, and Chaz never stops bringing the head nods behind the scenes.
“Spaceships” ain’t free to own, friends, so you may have to treat yourself if you’re fed up with streaming. Otherwise, press play and enjoy this mighty throwback as it seamlessly winds through your headphones.
