Don't Be A Charlie Brown, Blockhead

I tend to write about a lot of electronic music and the DJ’s who produce it but the truth of the matter is - most of it is pretty forgettable. Making a living in the electronic arts is not easy and to have a long and lasting career is almost impossible. There are exceptions to this rule, and some spectacular DJs like RJD2, DJ Shadow, Coldcut and Diplo, unfortunately, the DJ/producer named Blockhead is not among them. Well, not yet anyway.

Blockhead’s newest release Downtown Science pulls a page straight from the Shadow/RJD2/Any DJ who uses old funk and soul records backed with break beats book. But unlike Shadow and D2, Blockhead seems to have a hard time moving within the medium. He can pull it off – his skills are up there with the best, which is why he is a premier beat maker for several Def Jux artists, but his album sounds cobbled together and awkward at times, almost forced.

There is hope for the future. Go back and listen to early Shadow and D2, they too suffered a bit until they found their electronic groove and have continued to exploit it to great success. Maybe next time Blockhead.

Stuff to Sample: From Blockhead’s new album Downtown Science “The Art of Walking” and “Roll Out the Red Carpet”