Vangel

Cutting his teeth as one half of the production duo Vangel & Dorc, who are often favourably compared to Def Jux head and in-house producer El-P, Vangel has since left behind his MC aspirations as displayed on the duo’s debut EP to focus on his primary strength. Last year he debuted his first solo production work with a slight foray into down-tempo and jungle under the alias Peter Deadpan for Steps Removed. And like that instrumental EP, Postmodern Eros is steps removed from his earlier production work, although it also happens to be steps beyond it, too. By mixing his hip-hop foundation with jazz, funk and rock, Vangel has produced a beautiful, flowing soundscape that is perfect for your intense listening pleasure or as simple background music. The instrumentation is intricate and very musical throughout, especially compared to the typical instrumental hip-hop albums that usually get released. While it’s difficult to pick favourites from this 30-minute, eight-track EP, the second track, "Blackout Horn” builds a healthy anticipation for the rest of the album by slowly evolving into a groovy funk track. However, as good as the music may be on Postmodern Eros, the authentic, old school floppy disk that the CD comes packaged in is so brilliant it’s destined to outshine the music. A true work of art.