Prefuse 73: Preparations

Label: Warp

Instrumental hip-hop maestro Scott Herren’s latest album under the moniker of Prefuse 73 is another delightful slice of intricately textured electronica, with punchy, synthetic beats coated with fuzzy analogue warmth. The album opener, “From the East Intro,” brings us back to the earlier days of Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives with its combination of tough hip-hop rhymes buried in a neo-electro backing track. John Stanier of Battles brings his loose yet precise drumming to “Smoking Red”, a noisy, buzzy affair that sounds like Broadcast being remixed by Art of Noise, while the (short) highlight of the album “Aborted Hugs,” borrows the prodding keyboard beat trademark of Herren’s another project Piano Overlord and mixes it with an almost tribal horn loop. I would put my money that Prefuse 73 fans will be more than pleased with Scott Herren’s latest offering of choppy, surreal aural collages. (Morgane)