Attributed mysteriously to
Da Sampla, the three songs on this EP are produced entirely with a sampler, offering somewhat of a hip-hop aesthetic. The fact that
Da Sampla chooses somewhat untraditional sounds rather than the expected
James Brown breakbeats, some dusty 808 beats, or some bright Philly disco strings also leads to the record's odd palette of sounds. Unfortunately, it is exactly this drive towards the untraditional that results in a rather unappealing amalgam of sounds. Both "Pop" and "The Rider" try to piece together a strange blend of hip-hop and down-tempo house or techno, but the sounds just don't match up to any of these genres, making the songs seem alien not only in terms of sound but also in terms of rhythm and structure. The short concluding track, "Lamented," stands out with its beautiful use of strings, though. ~ Jason Birchmeier