Sonic Sum

Rob Sonic emerged on the scene in 2000 as the front-man for rock-fused-rap group Sonic Sum. Films was exclusively released in Japan in 2004 and, like Mike Ladd’s latest resurrection, it is being re-released widely by Def Jux four years later. Although the album’s namesake isn’t said, it probably has origins in the low-key ambience it delivers like a film score. With the exception of buzz-inducing openers "Oscillator” and "Moth,” Films stays on the DL, making you rock your shoulders absent-mindedly. It makes great background music but almost to a fault. Rob’s lyrics resonate bar by bar but are aimless in the long run. Coupled with his monotone style, he fails to excite. Luckily, he’s harnessed a sharp team of musicians.