RJD2 (born Ramble John Krohn) is undoubtedly one of the world’s finest producers, but I know I am not his only follower left somewhat disappointed by his last two solo albums. I was first introduced to RJ’s work with the release of 2002’s “Deadringer”, one of the most incredible albums I’ve heard to date, completely changing the way I discussed, thought about and listened to music. Holding RJD2’s first solo work in such high regard, I was fully aware that it would be difficult for any later releases to live up to my expectations, however I was unreservedly upset at the new singer / songwriter approach that had been favoured to the soul samples, drum work and funky bass flavours that embodied his earlier sound. This new direction resulted in RJ touring with a live band and writing music that I may well have enjoyed if I hadn’t expected so much more. With the release of “The Colossus” on his own label, RJ’s Electrical Connections, RJD2 has managed to create an album that utilises his abilities in every method of music conception, creation and production. He has combined the big beats and sample wizardry of his earlier work with his experience writing and performing in a band structure to create an album that could well be his best to date.
The first track I heard from this album was posted on my Facebook wall by an excited friend a couple of months ago. ‘Let There Be Horns’ is the first track on the record, and was released with an hilarious video of a minotaur’s love story which eventually results in a nervous breakdown in a china shop.
This of course prompted a number of comments consisting of minotaur puns and an abundance of excited chatter about the prospect of a new RJ album, but the comment that summed this tune up best for me was simply ’I want to cruise on the back of a camel to this.’ It’s an astonishingly accurate account of the vibe of this track, which combines bully-ramming breaks with north African flavoured horn samples to create an irresistibly catchy sound. Almost the entire song is made from single note ‘hits’ from obscurely sourced samples. ‘No melodies, or written aspects, could be retained from the records (sampled), in strict accordance with my newly imposed self-restriction.’ claims RJ, meaning this track must have taken fucking ages to put together. Luckily it was worth every second, just like the fifty odd listens I gave it while I counted the days until the album dropped.
When I finally got my hands on a copy of this record I was delighted to encounter fourteen more tracks of a similar quality. ‘Giant Squid’ consists of drum machine drums, a mighty pitch shifted guitar bassline, and a soulful harpsichord solo which ends a fat and funky instrumental track. ‘A Spaceship For Now’ is another instrumental tune that reminds me of the old RJ, with big sampled drum loops and ‘the banging of an old oil tank in my basement, a remnant of the time when heating oil was the primary heat source in these parts.’
The songs in which RJ sings sound much more accomplished on this album than on previous records. ‘The Glow’ is a celebration of the life of leisure, which seems odd considering his reputation as one of the hardest working artists in the business. It’s a cheeky, upbeat look at life ‘We’ve got the glow, we’ve got the glow. Don’t pay tax, we pay to get loopholes’ suggesting a carefree existence over sampled drums rippled with an arpeggiating synth. ‘Games You Can Win’, the first single to be released from the album features Kenna on vocals, with a pretty, glockenspiel laced melody that pleasingly compliments his voice. The slower tempo songs on earlier records used to get in the way of the more upbeat, and generally better tunes however for the first time, in my humble opinion, RJ has managed to successfully integrate these songs into an album without them feeling forced.
‘A Son’s Cycle’ is the only track on “The Colossus” that features any of the numerous MCs that RJ has produced beats for in the past. After hearing the production on Aceyalone’s “Magnificent City” and the work he’s done with Blueprint as Soul Position, I was a little disappointed to find just one hip hop track on this album, but what a track it is. The Catalyst, Illogic and NP all contribute semantics concerning their rise and subsequent fall from the disconcerting public eye. The three verses and an outro (a combination of samples from the first three verses) all fade into each other flawlessly, the beat and the lyrics, with catchy string samples winding back and forth throughout to justify the main lyrical theme ‘I know you’re sleeping if you don’t feel me’, in what turns out to be an epically executed composition.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve managed to get this excited about the release of an album, and even longer since I’ve not been disappointed by a release that I have been anticipating. RJD2 has shown just how accomplished he is as a recording artist by combining everything he’s become over the years to create a new record that almost has a ‘best of…’ feel about it. Having said that, despite numerous listens to "The Colossus" and how amazing it is, I still prefer "Deadringer".
