Edmonton-based producer Noel Jon weaves an eerie and beat-driven musical landscape on his debut album, aptly titled lp1. He utilizes Iranian music samples with tense, danceable production from the first track, entitled "Yalda," onwards. "Rescue Feeling" injects hip-hop into the mix, with rapper Cab'ral laying down a confident verse over precise, clipped beats and synths.
The album plays quite seamlessly, in some ways feeling like a mixtape. At times, the repetitious nature of the tracks can create detachment with the listener, as with "D'om," but Kurai and Cab'ral's appearances on the album's latter tracks add a humanity and intimacy to the songs, as Kurai references a "psychological collapse" in "Tunnilism." It's one of many references throughout lp1 to mental illness, a theme that's explored particularly well on "Exalted," an early track featuring Kurai.
HundredMillionThousand manages to blend a variety of genres and influences on his debut album, including hip-hop, rap, dance and electronic music. He marries Western and Iranian sounds in order to develop a varied sound that's at once melodic, haunting, abrasive and ominous.
(Independent)The album plays quite seamlessly, in some ways feeling like a mixtape. At times, the repetitious nature of the tracks can create detachment with the listener, as with "D'om," but Kurai and Cab'ral's appearances on the album's latter tracks add a humanity and intimacy to the songs, as Kurai references a "psychological collapse" in "Tunnilism." It's one of many references throughout lp1 to mental illness, a theme that's explored particularly well on "Exalted," an early track featuring Kurai.
HundredMillionThousand manages to blend a variety of genres and influences on his debut album, including hip-hop, rap, dance and electronic music. He marries Western and Iranian sounds in order to develop a varied sound that's at once melodic, haunting, abrasive and ominous.