Review: Milyoo – Archeology LP

After his Kazaduon EP was featured and reviewed here a couple of months back, the news that Kentucky based beat maker Milyoo would be releasing a debut album titled “Archeology” on Subeena’s label Opit Records was received to glowing grins and open arms from everyone at TRUANTS.  While it may seem soon to put out a full length LP already having only put out four releases in the past, it seems to have not fazed him in the slightest, as he’s managed to deliver one of the most satisfying and concrete LP’s of 2011. What’s especially heart warming is the choice of releasing the album on the label that originally released his debut  “Dasein” EP back in 2010. Obviously more than just a partnership of tunes between the label and producer, it seems like Opit Records has really been a major support in wanting to push out the very best in Milyoo and allowing as much creative freedom as possible.

What’s initially most striking about Milyoo and his productions, which we can’t possibly be  alone in thinking, is how dynamic and effortlessly he manages to incorporate a rich variety of sounds, BPMs, samples and atmospheres without drowning in trying to bring too much to the table. Influences from growing up with Guru, Casual, Wu-Tang, Dre and Biggie shine through on certain tracks whereas a more Brainfeeder-esque and house vibe also come across in others. It’s this sort of hard-to-class generification of his tracks that have garnered him a real hit with reviews and listeners as well as the people behind the labels who released his tracks. The album itself kicks off with the sounds of “Face to Face” leering the listener in with subtle clicks and what sounds like home recorded samples before gradually establishing the whole of the track with soft synth stabs, a slow slung kick drum and other unearthly sounds. Fans of Milyoo will no doubt recognise the next track on the album “Dasein”, which along with “Colours” makes up the only two tracks to have previously been released before. The rest of the album comprises of cuts exclusively made for the album. What seems to be a popular highlight with a lot of listeners is “Fieldwork”. The third track fades in slowly with a whimsical four note melody, a 4×4 kick and a vocal sample, which to my ears sound like its saying ‘acid’, which is kind of relevant considering the psychedelic and abstract nature of the album. The melody is repeated before coming to a beautiful set piece in the middle consisting of a dreamy mixture of synth work and string samples. It’s incredibly thought provoking and the production is immaculately pristine.

Things continue in greatness with “Pulley” which at five minutes and twenty-nine seconds is the longest track on the album yet also the slowest, chugging along attractively at a slim eighty-four beats per minute. The slower tempo definitely brings a more brooding vibe to it, with the chopped female vocal samples exponentially adding to the effect. Milyoo continues the album in a similar rendition yet still manages to create a unique listening experience with each track. The man brings in elements of IDM into tracks such as “Get Some” and “Swoon” and successfully manages to work at a hundred and forty BPM for an amalgamation of breaks, cymbal crashes and distant vocal chops on “Windows For Love”. Whether these tracks can find themselves into DJ sets from other than Milyoo’s may be a bit questionable, considering how unique sounding and busy some of the tracks are with samples. However we’d like to think it is definitely manageable for a track like “Down Like You” to get a clued up crowd busting a groove, no problem.

Milyoo – Archeology out on December 5th > PRE ORDER http://bit.ly/sn5Xcb by OPITRecords

Villella

OG at Truants / Graphic Designer / DJ / Twitter Soundcloud Instagram

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