Album Review: The Entitlement Generation

Heathen Harvest by Jack the Ripper

Genre: Hip hop/Electronica

Track listing:

01 Coil Is Playing At My House (My House) A2  
02 They Get It From An Elf's Head A3  
03 Whimp And A Wham (Steinski Done It Again) A4  
04 Radio Texas, Big Beat A5  
05 The Fist Instills Fear (Remix) A6  
06 Gangbangin' On Earth Day (Patchouli Mix) A7  
07 My Last Performance B1  
08 System 102 Model 100
09 Glitch Momb
10 DS Ate Four (Chomsky Two)
11 Dresdent (For Kurt) 
12 The Swoop Machine 
13 Steak Drugs

Imagine the combination from an academic musician going into radical experimentations in between Hip hop and electronica with some raw introits into old analogue industrials, well that's Nonnon aka Dave Madden. After a very well received debut on the German label Ad Noiseam in 2007 the band returns with its second on the American label Automation Records baptized as "The entitlement generation" which is not merely a funny name but a veiled critic on society constructed within the boundaries of some pop aesthetics and urban dynamics. Nonnon perspective on music is in agreement with free hand experimentation managed by the rhythmic logic from an experimented DJ and consolidated on the intellectual vision from the academic. It may have elements from Hip-hop without being exactly such genre, in a way its an outsider creation with a highly original development and plenty of snacks for thought and entertainment. Dave is a multifaceted compositor, the kind that has experienced to create soundtracks for video games and media while in his free time dedicates to give form to ingenious ideas such as the ones expressed on this record.

The rutilant aspect from the electronic beats and the caveman dynamic from the tempo is a first thing to notice while experiencing this album, the infusion of a ritualistic like cadence that tends to become an induction into hypnotic movements of ever potent and mutating rhythms submits the listener immediately after its cadence. Varied and enchanting these rhythms adhere the rhythm on the listener's mind and permeate its development with groovy synth ornaments and noisy textures helped by minimal electronic effects. The psychedelic side from the low-fi electronics meets the fatty bass loops from Hip-hop and its groovy sequences, transforming the hypnotic colourful in a fluent dynamic of ever interesting changes and unexpected turns, like when the rhythms vary from the Hip-hop sequences into technoid passages. Even though the rhythm is definitively an important part that probably constitutes the principal character from the band with its seductive sequence of primitive beat mutations these character retains a defined sense of seriousness and transcendence in its progression leaving it clear that this is not just funny music but condense a message and direction, the harsheness from the noise parts, some electronic effects and the samplers employed in some tracks enhances this sense of seriousness and direction.
On the general unfold the album can be considered unpredictable, rhythmically uncertain as its turns are really outwordly even though there is a constant of fluent rhythm that never lose it into abstract music. "Radio Texas" for example exemplifies the induction of a bombastic kind of sound, using big beat and magnetic resonances with heavy glitch twisting, like an intense trip of electronic forms and weird rhythm logistic.

Generally the rhythmic loops and electronic sequences find a way to mutate for the sake of aural diversion and to impress with its rarity, a rarity that maintains a status and a standard that never disappoints nor bores the listener. Diverse elements come through as sporadic manifestations from rock guitar chords like in "Gangbanging on earth day" to clavichord arpeggios on "My last performance" aided by some disco sequences and the general hip hop beat, always grooving and punctuating its fabulous cadence of insanity. Its mandatory to notice how the author loves to play with timbres and tones above melody yet how this direction grants the work with an special aura of movement and florid progression. On the B side of the cassette more elements from noise and glitch come evident like in "System 102 Model 100" with its magnetic distortions and smashed beats cut along in dirty chops of glitch and some electro acoustic backgrounds. Or the amount of brute analogue tones on "DS ate four (And Chomsky too)" and the more Industrial rhythmology on "Dresdent (For Kurt)" where rhythms are evidenced as more corrosive and intrusive and their dynamics are more linked with machinery. As usual the fatty and groovy loops from bass lines and suggestive Hip hop sequences are ubiquitous even here giving the tracks a tasty spice to test. This is an original and outworldly record that balances well the rhythm and the progressiveness from electronica creating an illusionist show of psychedelics and musical syncretism. Good work!