Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher

On Scott Herren's second Prefuse 73 outing, ONE WORD EXTINGUISHER, he continues the cut-up hip-hop that made his debut, VOCAL STUDIES + UPROCK NARRATIVES, explosive. His collaboration with Dabyre, "Uprock and Invigorate," certainly does both, while "Dave's Bonus Beats" skims into gospel territory. The songwriting seems to be more in effect here, sometimes in tandem with his musique concrete: "Detchibe" has no end to its funky soul; "Busy Signal" is unspeakably bouncy; "Perverted Undertone" hints at jazz; "Choking You" heads right into the digital divide. Even when Herren slows things down ("90% of My Mind is with You"), we can hear his careful craftsmanship. Herren hasn't lost his sense of humor, either, as evidenced by the "Altoid Addiction" interlude. Another triumph for Prefuse 73.

Brilliantly assembled full-length selection of beats and melodies from Scott Herren; this was definitely the 2003 summer album. A lot of the tracks work well individually, but it's best listened to in its entirety. Perverted Undertone is an absolute classic; other favorites of mine include Dave's Bonus Beats, the second untitled track at the end, The End of Biters - International, Storm Returns. Don't forget the companion mini-album "Extinguished: Outtakes," another sensational composition.