Blue Sky Black Death, the Seattle-based beat-production duo, are radically experimental when put into the same context as artists like Star Slinger or Clams Casino, which are other artists who have recently dabbled in the hip-hop realm. They have a thirteen-minute long track, “13”, that takes the listener through a smorgasbord of rapidly changing textures and long-winded progressions. Their beats combined with Nacho Picasso, also based in Seattle, provide a new perspective for the hip-hop scene. In a local climate where socially conscious rappers like Macklemore and the Blue Scholars reign supreme, experimental hip-hop like Shabazz Palaces and THEESatisfaction are highly regarded, and energetic party-rhymers like Fresh Espresso and Mad Rad are constantly performing throughout the city, Nacho Picasso’s voice is oddly separate. He doesn’t fall into any single category, although his style is reminiscent of southern rap because of Mike Jones-style slowed down lyrics and the way he swings from bar to bar with calm expertise. “Lord of The Fly” is their second collaborative album and it yields some bizarre and groundbreaking results that overall prove they work well together.
Nacho’s strengths are his intelligence and humour. “I’m A Greek God” shows his creativity, likening himself to a god-like status and relying heavily on puns to emphasize his otherworldly swagger. Boasting lyrics like, “Should have been a Minotaur/’Cause your boy’s a beast/Got me feelin’ like Aries/’Cause I know no peace,” Nacho’s voice carries over the chilled-out Blue Sky Black Death beat, sounding strangely alien due to sparse percussion. Nacho’s allusions to historical greatness also appear on “Tutankhamun” where the chorus is, “Me and Tutankhamun/Got a lot in common/I’m a young pharaoh.” These tracks contain some of Nacho Picasso’s funniest lines, “Count Dracula/My bitch is Elvira/And Bride of Frankenstein/That’s my secret admirer,” and “Boy, I’m fresh to death/Like you dug up my body.”
While seemingly mindless comparisons are drawn, there are nods to a deeper intelligence in his wordplay and track titles. “Naked Lunch”, also the title of a once controversial novel by William S. Burroughs, is also the longest track on the album. This track also shows Blue Sky Black Death’s more club-friendly beats, with infused synths while Nacho references a ton of drugs, possibly relating to the risque nature of Burrough’s novel.
Blue Sky Black Death does wonderful work creating an ambient, highly listenable atmosphere for Nacho to spit some wildly abstract lyrics. “On A Bitch” has a lo-fi guitar riff topped with percussion that’s accented by different effects, “Tool Man” sounds like parts of the beat are from Castelvania since there’s an element of 8-bit music within the track. Finding any comparisons to their work is difficult because they seem to be in the hip-hop mindset, building effective beats that switch gears to make room for choruses or to emphasize certain parts of Nacho’s lyrics.
Of course there are a few cliches that Nacho falls into, like the track “Rammin’”, which is his gratuitous ode to sexual over-performance. However, most hip-hop artists follow this trend and he has some particularly memorable lines like, “I got more accounts/Than my trophy wife/But I got more to count/I got a secretary/Just to sort ‘em out” and later, “I’m like the statue of David/Except more endowed.”
While his direction isn’t necessarily original, Nacho proves that he’s able to wield his lyrics with a sense of humor and impressive capability. He may be under-appreciated in the latest wave of experimental hip-hop, with artists like Danny Brown, Tyler, the Creator, and Lil’ B lurking around, but his talent is greatly complimented by Blue Sky Black Death’s beats. “Lord of The Fly” is a step in the right direction for Seattle’s hip-hop and it holds value as a well-executed experiment for fans of both synth-heavy beats and unconventional rap.
Connect with Blue Sky Black Death: Facebook | Twitter | Website
Connect with Nacho Picasso: Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Website
