Title: Battle Cat
Artist: Knight Call
Released March 2013
Genre Hip Hop | Abstract
Label Dystopiaq
Catalog Number dystopiaq038
License: CC BY-NC-ND
Using the Masters of the Universe call of “battle cat” as part of the setting for a song is a worthy tribute to all things good and geeky in the cartoon and comic book world. But, the geek tendencies of Knight Call don’t end there. On the very next track we are treated to a setting of a discussion of Hi-Fidelity audio equipment that is both humorous and somewhat cheesy by today’s standards. And that’s what makes the setting a lovely, affectionate tribute.
However, when stepping beyond the affectionate tributes, Knight Call really shows us what he is about: dark textures, tight beats, shifting drones, and even a little jungle or glitch texture here and there just for good measure.
And that’s what makes this release work. It’s not stuffed into one genre. There are overall tones of trip-hop / hip-hop to the work on this recording, but the focus is always on the beat, and if using a different set of textures or tones works with the beat and the over all son, Knight Call isn’t afraid of the experiment.
I do admit to one slight bit of confusion. Each track has a subtitle: The Power, The Sound, etc. The last of the is The Rage, however, despite multiple listenings, I don’t get rage from the piece. All of the other subtitles work well for their pieces. But, I am still stumped by The Rage. I guess I was expecting it to be something more like an epic battle sequence or something, but there is nothing in the track that even suggests a fight, much less rage.
But, setting that aside, this is a great release. One that I can find myself tossing in with a few other dub or trip-hop type releases and listening to all day. It’s the kind of dark, moody work that just fits sometimes.
Knight Call: Battle Cat
Free
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