Search - Soul-Junk :: 1958

Animals, Children and Soul-Junk

Colin Zerk | 09/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Soul-Junk keeps it real sick. After their massive shifts from undie rock experiments with a live band (including Glen Galaxy's brother Jon) on 1953/1954 to the electronic drum n' bass/M.C. axis on the criminally underrated 1955 they hit upon a fertile creative ground with 1956. Released on the now defunct 5 Minute Walk, 1956 was an amalgamation of all things Soul-Junk. New beats and sonic places in which to play, it was a fork in the musical road map and they set off with reckless abandon. Then comes 1957, which threw a thousand splinters into their sound. More funky, more abstract, less predictable, less immediately likeable (?). And now 1958. One has to wonder how much farther Soul-Junk can take it. 1958 seems to push each element of their stitched together sound to the absolute limit. The vocals/M.C.'ing are easily comparable to the best of underground hip-hop (Anticon, Def Jux, Project Blowed, etc.) and the music really seems to have no parallel in the the hip-hop underground (more like Warp meets Schematic meets Thirsty Ear's Blue Series). There are some fantastic collaborations, including those with Sounds Are Active label-mate Bizzart who teams with Galaxalag on the noisy (but incredible) "Autosmuddling". Also contributing are avant trumpeter Greg Kelley (of nmperign) and renowned free-jazz saxophonist Daniel Carter. This record will probably blow just about anything else in your collection away. It will also demand more of your attention than most small animals and some children. So if you can make the commitment, press the button and pick it up."

The ever compelling wackness continues

Colin Zerk | 09/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first picked up an earlier Soul Junk release (1956) a couple of years ago and can't get enough of their work. My cd collection is being taken over by their music! The music is so richly layered you absolutly MUST listen to the CD about ten times before it really hits you. This CD has the harrowing ablility to sound different every time you listen to it, to no end. If you like things a little avant garde, this CD will show how to get funky in unexpected ways. Pop culture product people need not apply. This is music for the open minded."

Mad bad

Colin Zerk | 09/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"SJ's most clubish release to date. Sweat sounds of 80s nostalgic video games, computer errors, and flows. A must for anyone's artistic hip-hop collection. Truly ahead of their time, and so I imagine the album will do better than it has already, in the future. 10 out of 10. Nice Job Galaxy and Slo."