Jedi Mind Tricks, the Psycho Social LP..ah, where to begin? I got my copy in the mail, today, that I purchased on eBay (probably one of the few places you'll find this one). I'm not disappointed, at all, by this one, despite having only had a chance to preview a few of the tracks. The artwork and vinyl are superb quality, but let's talk about the sound..

The sound can be described as enigmatic, dubbish, and of an unmistakably underground east coast flavor. The intro track sets the mood and the pace for this opus with its 90-100bpm sampling, heavy on the strings and the lo-fi, and peppered with samples from various sources, including movies, television, and other hip hop albums (including the Pharcyde, Can't Keep Runnin' Away). It's a melodic, hallucinogenic atmosphere, to say the least.

The flow has been described, before, as a foray into the territory of one Kool Keith, who is thanked as an influence on the back of the record, but I feel that their similarities stop there. Once you can get past that "what'd they just say?" stage and really begin to explore this album, you find that it carries a message that is spiritually and socially minded. And oh yeah, did I mention the esoteric nature of the material?

The subject matter of the tracks on this record range from various densities of existence, biblical prophecy that is less known than your Sunday School teachings, alien conspiracy theory, new age lore..you really have to hear it to believe it. For real fun, sit there looking up what the Verbal Hologram spits at you, on google.com.

Final words on this one? An underground classic, if you can get ahold of it.