Search - Subtle :: New White

Really amazing album

Etc | Los Angeles, CA | 06/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've always been into practically anything the Anticon camp puts out there, but this really stands out. I'm a big fan of Dose One's work, and in my opinion, this is the best thing that he's done yet. This has the surreal imagery that showed up on the cLOUDDEAD album Ten (which was also really great), but the production is cleaner and more visceral here. The beats and melodies morph from pretty atmospheric textures intro a driving groove and then fall into almost rock/electronic swells.



To say that this album is ahead of its time is an understatment.



The rapping/singing is in the line of Dose One's characteristic, almost stream of consciousness assault... If you've never heard him before, this album is a great introduction. His voice exudes personality... His delivery covers the whole range, and there are few other vocalists who can sound simultaneously emotional while being sarcastic and almost cartoonish. It really is something that can't be effectively described.



I have no clue what kind of genre this would fall under, but isn't that irrelevent anyway? This music combines so many diverse influences into one cohesive sound - It's hip hop, it's breakbeat, it's rock, it's ambient... it's practically everything, it's something completely different altogether, and it's always good.



I don't know what that one reviewer was talking about.... with it being overly glitch heavy, and then saying that he was gonna break out some Aphex Twin. I doubt this guy was even listening to the same album, and even if he was, at least listen to the actual record instead of some low-quality sound clips off the bleep site before you come on Amazon and spout your uninformed garbage. That guy made this album sound as though it had something in common with Venetian Snares, and that just couldn't be further from the truth (although V Snares is great as well).



Every track is solid, and the album gets better every time you hear it. You will not regret a cent you spend on this album. This album needs to be noticed, and I truly do hope that it is appreciated as a landmark. People will be listening to it slackjawed in 2025 and say "THIS was made in 2005??!?!""

My favorite album

C. Bow | labcabincalifornia | 01/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i've heard just about every song created in the latter half of this century and this record holds eleven of my favorites. if you are a fan of dose one's work, then you already have this album and i hope to see you at the next subtle show. if you are not a fan, it is my sincere hope that this review sways you in the right direction.



hip hop as we know it is lying comfortably on his deathbed, living off the last of the gold 1994 left him and waiting for one of his sons to strangle him and take the throne. the fact that he lasted this long is a testament to his orignality and potential to evolve. i do not mean to lessen the achievements of the many original artists that have emerged in my day, but this record marks the birth of the son that will take the throne.



the reasons are simple. subtle is more talented in nearly every aspect than any act i have heard in the past decade. they are original and experimental, but very listenable. musically, the band is complete and flexible. it consists of a drummer who plays a guitar and piano, a drum mechanic who might be one of the greatest live mpc players around, an electric cellist who makes subtle subtle, a pair of keyboarders who also play any instrument you can think up, and a vocalist who rocks no less than three microphones, a vocoder, a sampler, and crowds around the world. the sound cannot be classified by genre, but remains tight and precise. the flexibility, unity, and groove this band possesses is remarkable for such a new sound. dose one has proven throughout the years that he can hang with any mc in any arena, yet he is fearless enough to create music the way he hears it. he is a prolific writer and a true poet. his lyrics are complex and modern. i would be a follower of his writing even if he never picked up a microphone.



this is the bast album i have heard since the creek drank the cradle. even the first listen brought back feelings i haven't held since the first time i heard liquid swords over a decade ago. this is hip hop's sargeant peppers. buy this album and go see subtle live if you have the opportunity. hip hop is evolving and subtle is nietzsche's ubermensch."