The idea of hip hop beats or samples mixed with other live instrumentscan go like crunchy or smooth peanut butter: it goes down easy or itneeds some chewing but either way it sticks to you. I like my peanutbutter smooth, and Loopian Zu lay it down with an even coat so that Idon't even need the second slice of bread. Then they throw on some oddand crazy improvisation that takes it to a higher plane that is stillsmooth, but can cause some confusion if you don't know where to pointyour ears or your mind. Not to worry, as it all plays out in the end asa very coagulated whole, where every move is not necessarily planned,but the members are firing on the same cylinders so it all feeds thebeast within. "Regents Park" is full-on mad drum glory with scratchesand squelches of fancy, mixed with killswitch classical vocals thrownin for good measure. Then, the fantastic two-part track fades in withsmooth horns and guitars before dissolving into cacaphonic noise andhorn and drum rambling that do Miles Davis proud. They blend theirinfluences with almost equal airing and time, not in some bouillabaissethat sounds indistinguishable. The horn section is the focal point ofmany tracks, and they nail it down tight. Loopian Zu are clever andsneaky, not blunt and unimaginative, and the main difference isartistry. "Nuso" is the flagship, with awesome solo voice question andchorus answer vocals, all anchored with the same dub or jazz basecoat.Some awkward moments exist within the same formula, like "Foot Prince& the Emergent Sea," which annoys with its "Love in an Elevator"beginning and muddled progression vocally and instrumentally. What itbuilds to is anti-climactic and meandering. No matter: they've alreadymade their point, and it's a small pothole on the highway. I still feltmoved by it, and didn't need anything to help wash it down. Read More
