Variable Unit Discography of CDs

Variable Unit music CDs The music world is full of artists who like to think that they're "beyond categorization" when, in fact, they're quite easy to categorize and aren't nearly as unique as they would like us to believe. But Variable Unit (V.U. for short) really is difficult to categorize. Parts of Handbook for the Apocalypse are relevant to alternative rap, and yet, other parts of this 2003 release aren't rap in the conventional sense. V.U.'s Azeem raps at times, but much of the material is essentially spoken word with a track -- and that track could be influenced by hip-hop, soul-jazz, electronica or all the above. One shouldn't think, however, that V.U. is suffering from an identity crisis or that Handbook for the Apocalypse is unfocused. V.U. knows exactly what they're doing; this CD doesn't fit neatly into any one category, but Handbook for the Apocalypse always has a strong sense of purpose. Lyrically, this is an extremely sociopolitical disc; whether V.U. is getting their points across with rapping, spoken word, or samples, the album is a 55-minute commentary on the problems of the world. And by the time Handbook for the Apocalypse finishes playing, V.U. has addressed everything from suicide bombings to police misconduct to poverty to environmental ...

Variable Unit discography Thanks to Handbook for the Apocalypse, many of the people who are aware of Variable Unit tend think of them as a sociopolitical group along the lines of Public Enemy, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Boogie Down Productions, and Consolidated; when a group has a political agenda and is into hip-hop, those comparisons come easily. And yet, it would be a mistake to think of V.U. as a full-time rap group. They have included some rapping, but much of their work is best described as spoken word with a track -- and, of course, spoken word isn't the same as rap. Handbook for ...

Variable Unit songs Variable Unit is a loosely knit collective bringing together some of the Bay Area's most talented musicians. The five members here come from a variety of musical backgrounds -- from jazz to hip-hop to classical and rock -- and the eclectic, engaging Seven Grain clearly reflects that diversity. Stalwart drummer Ron E. Beck combines with Matt Montgomery to provide the foundation for Variable Unit's ambitious sonic explorations. Funk, soul, and jazz are the touchstones of this subtle, often-sensuous mix which is as notable for its consistency as it is for its quality. While Variable Unit is clearly looking to stretch musical boundaries, Seven ...

Variable Unit CD discography It isn't hard to understand why some people might think of Variable Unit as a hip-hop/spoken word group with a strong sociopolitical agenda; the Bay Area residents ventured into sociopolitical territory in 2003 with Handbook for the Apocalypse and in 2004 with Mayhemystics (a collaboration with alternative rapper Azeem). But they showed another side of themselves on 2003's Cold ...