Yesterdays New Quintet Angles Without Edges CD

Using jazz experimentation, education, and the unequivocal brilliance of his hip-hop creativity as a primary instrument, Madlib leads this record of paramount importance in the modern jazz and hip-hop worlds alike. Favoring swatches of lounge-heavy atmosphere and Fender Rhodes rivers to forever soulful infinity, big beats, and abstract soloing on everything from vibraphone to the turntable itself, Angles Without Edges is where music hoped to go by 2001. This is a hip-hop record made with jazz principles of improvisation, spacy cut-and-paste passages of drifting solos, and periods of vamping grooves that are layered handsomely with uncut breaks that build on top of themselves, eventually creating what may be the Bitches Brew of the new millennium. Released on the progressive and reputable Stones Throw label, also home to their Uno Esta 12" and Bomb Shelter 7", Angles is 19 tracks deep and doesn't stray in quality as the beats drum on. Highlights include the math jazzy "Julani," the soul eclipse in "Papa," and the outer space dub/samba in "Paladium." ~ Nic Kincaid

Concept Album From Madlib (Quasimoto,Lootpack)

Recorded at The Dump and at The Bomb Shelter, Los Angeles, California 2001. Includes liner notes by Dave Tompkins.

Recording information: The Bomb Shelter, Los Angeles, CA (2001); The Dump (2001).

Photographer: B+.

Unknown Contributor Role: Ahmad Miller.

Arranger: Madlib.

Yesterdays New Quintet: Madlib, Monk Hughes, Joe McDuffrey, Malik Flavos, Otis Jackson Jr.

Alternative Press (1/02, p.100) - 8 out of 10 - "...A stunning accomplishment....If DJs are still looking for rare grooves in 30 years, you can bet this one will be in a lot of crates..."
CMJ (10/1/01, p.13) - "...One of the most orgainic collisions of cultures since Tribe's LOW-END THEORY...truly among the finest albums of the year..."
Mojo (Publisher) (2/02, p.100) - "...Starting from a hip hop beat-maker's perspective, Madlib has created a jazz album that oozes sampleable loops and breaks..."