Add Blue Distortion to the list of “journalists critiquing his first eight bars.” The Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives EP is Aesop Rock’s latest addition to the independent label Definitive Jux’s ever growing collection of mind expanding, eclectic hip hop. We can continue to hear Aesop progress into something new and fresh, following closely to the electronic and obscure sound of Bazooka Tooth. While there are only 7 songs on the EP, it includes an 88-page book highlighting all of Aesop Rock’s lyrics from Float to Fast Cars. The phrase “Now it takes a dancing bear jumping through flaming hoops to even make em buy the god-forsaken single!” from the Daylight EP comes to mind.

Aesop Rock produced tracks 3, 6 and 7, Blockhead rocks on 1, 2 and 4 and Robic Sonic lays the groundwork on track 5, “Winner Takes All.” While all of them have different styles, the whole album flows very well together. All of the songs on this album are very interesting and well put together, but, a few of them truly stand out. The 2nd track, “Number Nine,” starts out with a robotic voice sample that slowly fades into a funky beat, quirky TB-303 style melody and warm synth work. This has to be my favorite beat by Blockhead on the album. The following track, “Zodiaccupuncture,” is another highlight of the album, it’s hot. Sick beats, great samples (even including some electric guitar) and a very confident sounding AR.

On track 4, “Holy Smokes,” Aesop offers a greater insight to his ideas about religion, specifically growing up as a part of the Catholic Church. “I’m more science than faith, I’m more karma than bread and booze. I’m not an asshole, I’m just a little confused.” He covers many ideas and points surrounding this ‘agnostic front’ slowly taking ahold of the younger generation. Blockhead laces great samples and synths into the track as well. Track 6, “Rickety Rackety,” is a high energy, big beat track with funky drums, a head nodding (or maybe bobbing) melody and double-time rhyming. It also features great appearances from CamuTao and El-P. CamuTao just kills it on this song, with the perfect voice to compliment Aesop and El-P.

Another interesting song on the album is the closer, “Food, Clothes, Medicine.” Aesop Rock, in my opinion, is tackling the issues of the war machine, neglected veterans and dazed soldiers head on. “Hawk on cash, bank on wars,” is part of the chorus which is one of the best I’ve heard from him since Nightlight. However, I could have done with out the samples of the women getting pounding like meat being tenderized. As with every Aesop Rock album, it grows on you with each listen. If you listen in headphones, you’ll hear lots of obscure sounds in the background which is always a treat.

Salvador Dali can be credited for being one of the greatest surrealist artists of all time. One of his accomplishments, Ange Pi-Mesonic, in my opinion, is truly one of his greatest and least praised works as an artist. The title of the picture can be translated as Pi-Mesonic Angel, a very strange yet suitable title. The word meson alludes to a class of elementary subatomic particles that participate in strong interactions, which forms the basis of the painting. This work is vigorous, effectual, and full of energy. It is a depiction of nuclear chaotic forces interacting in perfect unison.

Ange Pi-Mesonic was started in 1957 and completed in 1958. A vast majority of Dali’s pieces are oil on canvas. This illustration is just a little bigger than a regular sheet of paper. He used ink, pencil and a small amount of gouache to complete this piece. The picture may represent a dream of his, as most of his works appear to do. There is no real style association here, but it was labeled as divisionistic art. This does not adequately classify the drawing because divisionism is defined as a sub genre of neoimpressionism in which colors are divided into their components and mechanically arranged so that the eye organizes the shape. The eye cannot organize the shape of this piece, and thus the expectation that there is more than the basis of divisionism at work here. Divisionism, as defined from a scientific view, was a principle studied by Werner Heisenburg. This scientist suggested that matter might have several forms harmoniously coexisting within a single structure. It is strange that a scientific principle can label the work instead of a style of painting such as impressionism or renaissance.

Dali used a grayscale, monochromatic scheme comprised of ink and pencil for the majority of the work. In the upper right hand corner of the piece a small explosion of gouache, synonymous with his work, hovers over the pen and ink in somewhat of an authoritative state. Gouache is a method of painting with opaque watercolors mixed with a preparation of gum; he used a white watercolor. This catches the eye more than anything does in the work; it looks as if it should not belong. He uses a great deal of different shapes so there is no repetition in the work. The viewer can start at any point in the piece and will be guided through it with ease. This is not a work that has to be read from left to right or vice versa. His shading techniques and the selection of texture are brilliant and stunning; each part of the picture compliments the others soundly. Explosions of ink and pencil guide the viewer through the work and it appears that Dali did this so effortlessly. It is amazing that his mind could produce an image of absolute randomness and chaos in such a state of harmony. There is no compositional unity and balance in the painting, which fortifies the feeling of chaos. From a technical view, there is no symmetry in the piece. However, complex symmetry is produced throughout the different textures and how they are incorporated into one another.

This unity of chaos depicted in the work goes along quite well with Werner Heisenburg’s theory. Digging deeper into the mind of Dali, the viewer may begin to recognize symbolism and interpret the work from a different standpoint. I think that this work can symbolize life in many ways. This work appears as if it were a snapshot taken of the constantly changing forces of life that mysteriously coincide with harmony. An unseen being or entity guides these forces. This could be a creator, a moderator, or just the idea that the earth is a living and breathing being. Whatever it may be, the small gouache splatter in the upper right corner of the work hovers over the ink and pencil in a blissful state. This symbolizes the moderator or the authoritative in this piece that is ruled by chaos. Although this work would have produced harmony and unity without this small explosion of watercolor, it would have not had the same effect without it. When the work is viewed, this disruption of the chaos stands out more than any other part of the piece.

Harmony is established by Dali’s fading from each changing texture. His mission for this work was to give unity to chaos, and he has succeeded. Dali’s work is reasonably predictable at times; intended symbolism is more blatant in other painting of his. The great thing about Ange Pi-Mesonic is that it can be interpreted in so many different ways. It evokes emotion: anger, madness, confusion, and frustration. On the contrary, however, it is strangely calming. This calming force guided by the small splatter of gouache in the work makes way for an intelligent and extremely creative piece that is rarely spoken of. Dali may have been know as a surrealist, to some a pervert, but in this piece he exceeds himself. There are many drawings or painting by several artists of men and women in harmony or in chaos, but to capture the essence or abstract idea of chaos in harmony is a true sign of genius.

It’s been over 6 long years since the Beastie Boys have graced our cd players and turntables with a new album. It was well worth the wait. What is a review of the Beastie Boys doing on a website about experimental electronic art? Well, in my opinion, Beastie Boys is one of the most experimental groups that I have come across as an avid music listener. Not in a sense of how many snares can you fit into a single bar without it sounding like white noise, but in their mastery of a very diverse group of genres. They can’t be classified; they are the Beastie Boys.

To the 5 Boroughs is somewhat different from every previous release of their’s to date, but they still manage to come with the signature Beastie sound, minus the obvious (vocals). This album is reminiscent of Paul’s Boutique feel and similar to the futuristic, electronic hip hop joints on Hello Nasty. Basically, it’s a good mix of their older and newer hip hop. There is no chilled, jam songs like the album of In Sound From Way Out which was somewhat disappointing.

I could go through the whole album, but I will highlight a few of the gems. The album starts out with the popular radio track “Check it Out”, which has a great, old school style breaks over the infamous brass stabs. When I dropped it in the car stereo, I also found that the sub bass is deep and super heavy because “nothing sounds quite like an 808.” That brought a smile to my face and I never should have doubted these geezers. “Rhyme the Rhyme Well”, has my favorite beat on the album, and the song is a bit dark which is somewhat new to the Beastie Boys. They also drop plenty of fresh lines such as “I’m not even asking, yo what’s crackin’ / serving mc’s on a platter like a baked alaskan.”

“Oh Word?” and “The Brouhaha” are just plain bangers that could get any party started. Both start out with infectious, simple electronic melodies and progress into some nice body moving business. I can barely call any of the songs fillers, they seem to blend nicely together. The crystal clear production on this album is also amazing. To the 5 Boroughs won’t let down the fans of the goofy, bizarre lyrics that the Beastie Boys are well known for. For example, “I got more rhymes than Carl Sagan’s got turtlenecks” and “I got a baddazler so my outfit’s tight.”

Here is a little criticism. As mentioned before, there was not a great mix of genres in this record; they stuck through the hip hop tempos the entire album. While this isn’t a huge problem, it was strange to see them focus on one genre and leave it at that. Some of the political stances that they take make them sound a bit whiny, regardless of if you hang to the left or right. The songs with with politicals views still have amazing beats and rhymes.

I can’t see any real Beastie Boys fan, who has grown up with them for years, not liking this album. Except for the ones that only dug their hardcore like Aglio E Olio and think everything since then is a sell out record. Listening to this album makes me want to put on a walkman and go skateboarding (or fail miserably at trying), like in the old, nostalgic days of Check Your Head and Ill Communication. I knew I would like this album before even listening to the first track, so it’s quite hard to give it a bad review. I have one question. How many crews can fit kugel or Ron Popeil into their rhyme scheme? Not many. These guys could make an entire record out of kitchen appliance sound effects and it still would be amazingly funky.