Prefuse 73
Surrounded by Silence

Atlanta based Prefuse 73 returns with another exploration of the hip-hop underground. Since busting onto the scene following the 2001 release of Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives, Scott Herren’s one man show has twisted the hip-hop instrumental into an innovative playground of cut and paste techniques, where static, feedback, and noise combine with stuttered beats and jazzy samples. On Surrounded by Silence, alongside the warped beats are several guest vocal spots which give this album a different feel from previous Prefuse 73 releases. The collaborations with Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface, Masta Killa & GZA do not sound out of place, probably because they are used to working with another instrumental innovator (the RZA). Underground MC’s El-P (of Company Flow), Aesop Rockand Camu also craft their flows around the unique Prefuse 73 sound.

Even with all of the vocal collaborations, the beats are the star of Surrounded by Silence. Herren’s ability to take the tiniest, most obscure samples and twist them to his desires, is clear. Every sound, from banjo’s to the pops of a needle on a record, is usable. Don’t expect to hear the new Prefuse 73 on hip-hop radio, or in the mainstream clubs, but for those with an ear towards innovation, Surrounded by Silence will be in heavy rotation until the next album drops. -- Ben Frans