Alias: Resurgam & Resurgam Residual EP (Anticon CD/CDEP/digital)
Brendon Whitney has always been one to keep on eye on, working in the fringes of hip hop with a knack for sampling, editing and technique that easily could pit him against DJ Shadow or RJD2. But his aesthetic is not quite the same as either of those once-comparable artists (their respective sounds have veered sharply apart as well)... Alias has always been more of a composer, less a compositor, if that makes sense. Even as his music is comprised of layers upon layers of samples and sounds and loops, it's always felt more deliberate, and it usually sounds like he's created many of these sounds himself. He also now seems to create a lot of the electronics found on his tracks, not content to lift someone else's synth patterns or basslines. A lot of this lush layering has veered his sound away from hip hop into something more sublime and lush.... when he stopped rapping on his own records, it sealed the deal that Alias was about a lot more than leftfield hip hop.
After several collaborative releases in the past few years, he's returned to his solo work with Resurgam, which might just be his crowning achievement so far. It's remarkable in the sense that it doesn't break too much ground for anyone exposed to his previous repertoire, but for lack of more eloquent words, he just fucking nails it. Resurgam seems to rely on samples the least of any of his material that I've heard. As a technician he's near-perfect here, flaunting his skills with beat programming through aptly named tracks like "I Heart Drum Machines" and "Justamachine," but the skill that went into the construction of these tracks, as with most tracks on here, is runner-up to the emotional beauty to be heard. Many of these tracks are brimming with sounds, often crossing over into other areas like the blurry-eyed swoon of downtempo IDM (think Boards of Canada or Arovane) or dreamy shoegazer pop. Even while there are melancholy moments to be found (such as the more reflective title track), many of these tracks have an optimistic undertone in their unabashed major keys, beaming, hazy refrains and electro-acoustic arrangements. The pacing is dead-on here, usually alternating his more complete tunes with short, ambient interludes - this is nothing that hasn't been done before, but here it works especially well in pacing the album. Vocal contributions from Yoni Wolf of Why? and The One A.M. Radio break things up nicely as well. With the swirling end track, "Oakland In The Rearview," one can only consider this Alias's dedication to his former homebase, having recently left northern California for his original birthplace, Portland, Maine. With a title that translates roughly into "I shall rise again," it seems only fitting that this music be at once reflective and aspirational.
So what of its accompanying EP? It was released in an extremely limited quantity of 100 copies for those who pre-ordered the album through Anticon's webshop. That said, it's not hard to find it floating around online... *ahem* It's a different approach than the main album, in that Alias's voice is at the foreground for the first time since his early albums. But he's not really rapping here; with the exception of the catchy first track, "The Answer," in which he repeats the phrase "I don't wanna be a rapper," channeling the monotone musicality of fellow Anticon artist Doseone, on a few of these tracks Whitney is singing most earnestly. He doesn't have the best voice, but you get the impression that due to the highly limited nature of this EP, these were really personal tracks for him and those fortunate enough to listen in are in on his secret. The production is again top-notch, working as a sister to the main album beautifully... the more outright emotive quality of some of the vocal tracks as well the extension of the same lush, inspired arrangements of the album give this a slightly different flavor within the same broad stroke of Alias's craftsmanship.
Certainly one for the best of 2008, Regurgam comes highly, highly recommended!
mp3s: I Heart Drum Machines | Oakland In The Rearview | The Answer
more info: Myspace | Anticon
buy it: Anticon Store | Bent Crayon | Boomkat | Emusic | Amazon mp3