Justin Levy finally follows up his breakout album as DJ Signify Sleep No More with Of Cities, a hard nosed urban instrumental hip-hop album that completely eschews current trends in the hip-hop scene coming out of LA. Don't expect the wonk or style hopping of Flying Lotus at play here. Of Cities is much grittier and more focused. Coming from Brooklyn, this album almost plays like a defense of territory or a statement against the West Coast's influence on instrumental hi-hop. Of Cities is ambience for the city streets, the percussion of stepping in puddles, the sound of not having an umbrella in the rain. Aesop Rock appears here, and his vocals fit neatly with Signify's sound. Overall, I think the album fits somewhere in between the sounds of Blockhead and Deceptikon, firmly in the tradition of the genre, with a harder edge than anything I've been hearing in this space in quite a while. This album may not excite some for that reason, but for me, it's actually refreshing to hear the East Coast alive again.

Style: Instrumental Hip-Hop

RIYL: Deceptikon, Blockhead

Buy from Bully Records  MySpace

Download: 1993

Tags See All Tags

2009  Aesop Rock  Blockhead  Bully  DJ Signify  Deceptikon  Flying Lotus  Instrumental Hiphop  Of Cities  onecaseman 

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