
A film about Northwest hip-hop from 2017
Ear Dr.Umz The Metrognome
Boombox Detox
Boombox Detox begins with a harpsichord sample, something Classical, and then drops a scratch and a dry boom-bap beat. Before I was writing about hip-hop, I scribbled a bit about Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and the gang, so I’m always pleased when an artist digs into that genre for samples and inspiration. That’s certainly appears to be the case with this instrumental full-length from Ear Dr. Umz The Metrognome. In November, an uploading error resulted in him leaking his own record before he’d intended to, reminding me of that famous quote that art is never truly done so much as it stops in some interesting place. “ANTARES” is a fav track, with sexy jazz horns and a fascinating reversal, as is the astro-space scratching on “CLOSETOTHECHEST.” Every one of these 13 tracks contains small, detailed moments that reward a careful listener: Pay close attention to all the subtle ways the funk bass is manipulated throughout “SYSTEMSOUND.” Two bonus tracks close out the record and add vocals to the mix, featuring rappers ALCAZAR and Gabriel Teodros, the latter of whom delivers some of his best, most relevant verses on “MOST WARS ARE STILL FOUGHT WITH STORIES.” The doctor has orchestrated a worthy prescription for your ears.
Boombox Detox was created in 2017 and features appearances from: