Wal Martian

For his debut album, Wal Martian concocts a collage of obscure sounds and samples to create an instrumental album with a loose narrative based around ambient, abstract music and banging drums. With very few tracks that really stand out as singles, Martian Law is best played straight through from front to back for its near-50 minutes of music. Wal Martian samples jazz, funk, folk and classical music and combines it with vocal samples off records from the ’40s and ’50s, building on a laidback vibe that evolves while remaining true to the initial spacey atmosphere. However, the one song that does stick out is an extreme example of what Wal Martian is capable of accomplishing. "Harvard Mouth (Extended Mix)” combines a Jack Nicholson vocal sample with a beat that only uses the voice to create the percussion element. Sure, it’s mostly beat boxing but the subtler voice samples give it dimension and the cheery, ice cream truck-style piano certainly doesn’t hurt. In the end, Martian Law is great after a weed session with your homies or as the soundtrack to your daily grind.