Madlib makes move with made-up movie mood music
XXL’s Chairman Mao said, “You couldn’t pay me to listen to an instrumental hip-hop album.” Beat Konducta, Vol. 1-2: Movie Scenes might change his mind completely. Madlib is no stranger to the concept album, as his releases under the helium-snarled Quasimoto and vibed-out Yesterday’s New Quintet projects would insinuate. The track titles tell the whole story; Madlib decided to approach the Beat Konducta collection as the soundtrack to a film that only exists in his head. Hence, “Two Timer (The Pimp)” sports a swaggering upright bass and a triumphant horn interlude, while “Outerlimit (Space Ho)” drifts through ephemeral flute samples and a weightless tempo. The cuts are short and the transitions sudden, but Madlib flexes his production muscles, working with wildly different templates, speeds and moods. From the jogging bass line and horn flurries on “Electric Company (Voltage-Watts)” to the haunting falsettos on “The Payback (Gotta),” this wild pastiche demonstrates why Madlib is one of the most talented heads in hip-hop.