Review:

on 2009-08-21 no_death Said:

Producer Danger Mouse is known musically for two things; Gnarls Barkley and remixing the Beatles. Gnarls Barkley was an enjoyable listen, bringing soul into the charts again and managing to look at difficult subjects using deceptively cheery tunes. The Grey Album, in which he mixed the Beatles and Jay-Z together, was a more difficult but similarly rewarding listen. What's often overlooked in his career is this collaboration.
I came across Danger Mouse & Jemini and was instantly hooked in a way his other records hadn't caught me. It was something that Gnarls and Grey ultimately weren't; fun. This album is old school hip-hop at its best, it relies heavily on the inventive flow of the rappers with the backing music complimenting more than taking over. While this type of thing is still present in the music of Jurassic 5 and Blackalicious, fun has been lost in a swarm of over-produced, bass heavy and intelligence light hip-hop. Not that daisy rap should return, but lightening up is good now and again.
Songs like Omega Supreme and Taking Care of Business jump out at you immediately. The bass is the personification of the title; but pop music from the 70's. It's all bass and funky lines which compliments the easy flow of Jemini.
While the album loses its way at the end, the laughable Bush Boys doesn't fit at all and sounds like Public Enemy lite, the start is so impressive this can be forgiven. The guest appearances really help; the Pharcyde and particularly J-Zone create the chartable tracks and keep the old-school vibe going. Make the most of the fun times though as Danger Mouse recently collaborated with David Lynch, dark times are ahead.

Rating: 7/10