 |
| |
|
| |
Album Review
by SashaS
19-12-2001
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Dungeon Family |
|
Dungeon Family: 'Even In Darkness'
(LaFace/Arista)
Dungeon Family is a massive from Atlanta with Outkast among its members
Dungeon Family members have been around for almost a decade and in that period have made a fair impact on the American hip-hop market. They hail from Atlanta, Georgia and are huge part of what is known as the Southern hip-hop; they also provide a bridge between funk and rap. Among its family are the Outkast guys, as well.
Modelled on Parlament/Funkadelic principles, Family is a loose association of musicians that began in Rico Wade’s (of Organized Noize production team who earned a Grammy for TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’) basement to record demos. One of the tapes was Outkast’s that led to a contract with LaFace (L.A. Reid’s label). The other notable contingent is the Goodie Mob… Now The Dungeon Family steps forward…
‘Even In Darkness’ is the collective’s effort that combines funk with jazz, rhythm’n’blues, deep soul, gospel, hip-hop… It is an eclectic assemblage of beatz, riffs, hooks, coloraturas and phrases that are extra catchy. Thus, ‘What Iz Rap’ doesn’t sound superficially nonsensical as it might appear at first. After the obligatory ‘Intro’ (sure, there is ‘Outro’) and miniscule ‘Presenting Dungeon Family‘, ‘Crooked Booty’ kicks in with the best Parla/Funk credentials, ‘Six Minutes’ and ‘Emergency’ are full-size soulsters…
The penultimate mentioned samples the hip-hop classic ‘The Show’ by Doug E. Fresh featuring Slick Rick, another track is named ‘Excalibur’, ‘Rollin’’ checks in like Barry White slowed down, but this is not all about the past. The moments of futurism occur in tracks such as ‘Trans DF Express’, a clubber that has a slight West Coast feel to it with its array of spatial effects.
A motley collection of tunes that should satisfy anyone waiting for the next full Outkast album, if those few new tracks on the soon-to-be-issued ‘Big Boi & Dre Present…. Outkast’ compilation are not enough.
7.5/10
SashaS
19-12-2001
Dungeon Family’s album ’Even In Darkness’ is out now on La Face/Arista
Outkast’s compilation ‘Big Boi & Dre Present…. Outkast’ is released 07 January 2002 on LaFace/Arista
|
|
|
