Search - Cex :: Role Model

This isn't booty music, it's brain music.

Ryan Hennessy | Albany, NY | 05/30/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am convinced that Cex has multiple personalities. There's no other way to explain the difference between his live shows and his albums. They seem made by two completely different people. Onstage, Cex plugs in his laptop, drops some nice beats and raps about koala bears or whatever else comes to mind and boasts about why he's the #1 entertainer here to singlehandedly save the electronic music scene from itself. And lets everyone know upfront, "This music is not brain music, it's booty music!" On records, Cex is just another unseen programmer making oblique glitch. I guess this is the brain music.Cex is Ryan Kidwell, a kid (I think he was 18 or 19 at the release of this record) from Baltimore, MD, that makes music on his computer, synthesizers and record table in his bedroom. Knowing that, this record would surprise you because Kidwell seems well-versed in the writing and producing of electronic music. If you didn't know it, the album seems like a lot of filler with some bright spots of innovation. The record has an overall vibe of mystery, and feels slightly dark and predatorial at time.The album opens with a few noise collages, and then "Love Cop" takes us into the realm of the beat-driven. There's nothing very noticeable about it. In fact, you'll forget what most of the songs sound like. "A Mansion As The Body She Resides In" might fit in on a Dr. Dre album as an instrumental. It has that dark alley gangsta vibe. In fact, Cex has been getting closer and closer to straight out hip-hop lately. But for this album, he sticks with mediocre Aphex Twin b-sides. Cex cuts up vocals Mouse on Mars-style in "Academy Award" until they're swallowed up by the machine. Beyond that, it's nothing special. "Julia Walsh" gives us a glimpse of something else though, a gentle sentimental melody plays of racketing percussion. In fact, that's just an appetizer before the beautiful "Theme Song to Cex," the real diamond that Kidwell seems to pull out of his [butt]. There's a perfectly sweet melody that seems to drip right over the rapid-fire percussion. It's too good to even say it sounds like Boards of Canada or Mira Calix. If every song was this good, you'd have perfect, smart and innovative album. Unfortunately, Cex likes to follow his pudding with more hard to swallow meat. The last batch of noise and cracked out beats oges off with barely anything worth pointing out except that one of the songs sounds like it could be one of those music box tracks on Bjork's Vespertine until it gets crowded over with noise."

Amazing beat wreckage

Ryan Hennessy | 12/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow is all I can say. The first time I heard "Am I Sound Boy" my jaw dropped and stayed that way for the whole 1:08. Cex is a real guy, and real good at making beats. After all, he IS the number one entertainer! Buy it."

Engaging, inventive, promising...

C. L. Mount | Hammond, Louisiana United States | 08/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Noisy, choatic hardcore techno/break-beat screech from this new artist. Swollen and spacey at times, but all together an exploratory experience."