- Hip hop’s Rasputin has been resurrected yet again after being killed off on Dr. Dooom 2, and those sixteen years in the proverbial afterlife have only made the intergalactic surgeon / gynaecologist angrier and more absurd than ever. In this new life, the iconoclast character has taken a turn to for the worst and we should all cower in fear. While the first outing of this persona read as a perverse science fiction graphic novel with its spaced out and lo-fi instrumentals and soothing medical practitioner flow , Moosebumps heralds the Jupiter inhabitant’s schemes to invade planet earth. Flanked by his original accomplices Dan The Automator and DJ Qbert, the astral terrorist has transcended toilet humour and vivid depictions of graphic medical procedures, ultimately revealing his malicious intent for us puny humans.
From the very beginning, mass hysteria breaks out with the “halfsharkaligatorhalfman” signifying his take over by spraying that octagon tag over any and all objects he can see on Octagon Octagon. Sheer juggernaut aggression pummels you the whole run time. Cavernous boom-bap drums dam in mind bending scratching from DJ Qbert as examplafied on the instrumental only Bear Witness IV. Being the only song here sans dense lyrics, it acts in a duality: it proffers a slight relief from the torrential cadence and parades the capabilities of the production team. Dan The Automator peppers intricate production work with everything but the kitchen sink. String stabs on the chorus of Power of the World peturb listeners as glitching synths wail their siren songs, dizzying anyone within audible distance. Funky horns introduce Area 54 and tag team with the punching keys, eventually evaporating into the deliciously smooth Flying Waterbed. Nu-metal reminiscent guitars, that peeped through on Power of The World, flex up the tail end of the record, propelling Karma Sutra into even darker territory.
Lyrically, Moosebumps spits rings around contemporaries as each listen reveals another play on words, another double entendre, or stupidly niche reference. It is simultaneously its greatest strength and biggest flaw. The density is imposing. It requires you to sit and digest. Kind of like how your mum said you shouldn’t go swimming after eating. Genius.com is going to have its work cut out for it trying to scribe this dissertation in obscurity. As an example “parallel parked pterodactlys walking down Cameros with molecules floating in the L zone / high titanium extra chromosome with the panoramic vision and view of what I do”…I mean, yeah.
Dr. Octagon won’t be enjoyed by everyone, that much I can say. Anything pulled from the murky depths of Kool Keith’s discography is this way. Yep, this is a character of hip hop’s most revered unique and disgustingly talented minds. The beats are ominous and dark. DJ Qbert scratches like a feverish rat through flesh. Leading this expedition, Dr. Octagon warps words and consciousness with the precision of David Lynch, continually constructing and destroying self-imposed barriers. If you’ve an interest in chronically obtuse and intentionally alienating hip hop, join me. Together we can spread the word of our barbaric new intergalactic overlord.
- Matt Lynch.