Prologue: A Review

Prologue, the seminal release by St. Louis’ newest imprint, FarFetched Records, brings new sensibilities to old material as the collective makes its bid to usher in the future sound of St. Louis. Bringing together 18 tracks, the release spans considerable ground, ranging from neo-soul to ambient hip-hop and everything in between while avoiding the feel of a hodgepodge. Dedication to pushing familiar sonic boundaries animates nearly every song on the album and ultimately ties the disparate productions together into a cohesive offering. That is not to say, however, that the album breaks cleanly or completely with the past; in a city where musical traditions run deep and are practiced fiercely, Prologue delivers exactly that – the glimpse of a new beginning.

Looking now at some standout tracks, Loose Screwz and Helen Marie go full robot on their respective cuts “Bloom of the Android” and “He Say She Say.” Where the former effortlessly blends trip-hop rhythms, French house filters and a thick, early 80’s low end, the latter delivers a smooth, almost grime-y futuristic R&B burner. On the hip-hop/rap tip, Air Haze and Whiteout twist and wind verses around minimal, eclectic beats with “Artsy Fartsy” and “Stay At Home Daddy” while Midwest veterans Scrub disregard such subtleties on their throwback banger “Double Trouble.”

With one foot in the past and one in the future, Prologue establishes FarFetched as a formidable brain trust of forward thinking artists, who this writer sincerely hopes push past this release and thrust St. Louis into a brave, new sonic future.

Hear the album here, and catch the Prologue‘s free release party tonight at 2720 Cherokee.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on January 20, 2012 at 4:42 pm, filed under New Music, Review and tagged electronic, experimental, farfetched, hip-hop, label, local, prologue. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Preview: {Prologue} Release Party

In continuation of our Dec/Jan issue’s coverage of contemporary artist, Damon Davis, we bring you news of Davis‘s latest project, FarFetched. An independent music and art imprint, Farfetched is Davis’s brainchild comprising of forward thinking musicians, artists, and imaginative video artwork. Farfetched is celebrating its first record release, {Prologue}. A music mix comprising of the who’s who of upcoming local acts, {Prologue} is a preview of things to come. Gathering sounds from a breadth of genres, {Prologue} promises a preview that will highlight the strengths of its forward-thinking musicians whose work will be featured by Farfetched.

The acts featured will be: 18 and Counting, Adult Fur, Standing Sleep, Scriptz n Screwz, Thelonius Kryptonite, Helen Marie, Scrub, Whiteout, and Blank Generation.

FarFetched also incorporates other forms of art, such as the tactile. An example would be the installation from Matt Strom and Davis which will also be in attendance at the party.

You can catch the show, for free, January 20th. Festivities will commence within the space of 2720 (2720 Cherokee) with doors opening at 9 PM and music starting at 10 PM.

In addition to {Prologue}, FarFetched has begun a monthly musical podcast, BadTaste. Curated by a different musical mind each month, BadTaste will undoubtedly provide a curiously different aesthetic upon every listen. You can check out BadTaste‘s premier podcast by clicking on the graphic below:

Prologue Album Promo from Civil Ape on Vimeo.

This entry was written by Blair Stiles, posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:02 pm, filed under Upcoming, What's Going On and tagged damon davis, farfetched, preview, release party. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.