| This release finds the prolific Daedelus indulging in a game called Exquiste Corpse, which the Surrealists are credited with inventing. Take a piece of paper and write a word or a phrase, fold it so no one can see what you have written and then pass it to the next person who does the same. The result is a nonsensical collage of words to which the players apply their own meaning when the piece of paper is unfolded. Recruiting MF Doom, Sci from Scienz of Life, Laura Darling, Prefuse73, TTC, Cyne, Mike Ladd, Jogger and Hrishikesh Hirway from the One AM Radio, Daedelus plays musical Exquiste Corpse with them and the result is essentially this album. It's a whimsical idea that attempts to illustrate the compelling possibilities which audio collage has to offer. Based in LA, Daedelus is about as far removed from NWA as it gets. Rather he deals in left-field hip-hop that is influenced by experimental electronica's tendency towards abstraction. Amidst the clatter of clicks and bleeps unfolds a musical daydream which has a distinctly American vintage feel. Daedelus slices and dices sound bites from old Hollywood films, lounge, exotica, big band, fifties TV themes and other assorted nostalgia to create unusual juxtapositions of sound that bounce to the beats. Daedelus' somewhat dense mix is demanding but not impossibly difficult. Repeat listening reveals something new each time. Guest emcees are buffeted around by fractured beats and polyrhythms momentarily creating a sense of tension while Laura Darling sings soothing lullabies accompanied by string arrangements that that have the slinky sway of fifties lounge music. Daedelus is positioned at the centre of a carefully crafted mix that aims the loose listeners in a labyrinthine barrage of samples. Perhaps not revolutionary, Exquiste Corpse exemplifies post modern audio bricolage at its very best. Fold the paper and pass it on. - Cyclic Defrost |
1XLP/Out Of Print