Prefuse 73

Scott Herren seems to be rather quick to release new material with Prefuse records becoming an annual event, but given the mediocrity of his latest edition it might be a wise idea for this talented producer to hibernate for a little while and recharge his batteries. Security Screenings contains all the elements you would expect from Prefuse 73: chunks of electronic loops and sound effects chopped into fractions of a second that are pieced together in beautifully unconventional ways to create his distinct signature. Though this new release sounds more like the table scrappings that Herren tends to serve up as a companion piece shortly after he puts out a full-length, the songs are more atmospheric and lazy, with very little intensity you would expect from someone whose last record had Def Juxies and Wu-Tang all over it. The use of old samples and techniques from his back catalogue don’t really help the cause for coming at us with freshness, and his collaboration with Four Tet is almost unbearable on the ears. Then there are moments such as "With Dirt and Two Texts” that has Prefuse doing what he does best: taking a smooth break and pairing it with various sounds of elegance, including the familiar dose of what sounds like an electronically-charged chord organ. But moments like this are few and far between and too identical to past Herren numbers. This is easily the most disappointing entry in the Prefuse 73 collection that, though it has its moments, is comprised of too many loose ideas and filler.