Published on Apr 3, 2003
Post 9/11 Western xenophobia could make acceptance of this album
unlikely without first taking the masses of asses back to first
grade like we did with MLK in the 1960’s. If tracks like
“Scientism” didn’t alienate you in the nineties they certainly can
today as you visualize United Airlines Flight 175 meeting you at
your front window while this spins.
Social and political hypotheses aside,
Race To The Bottom is called a “soundtrack to life” by the
artist, so if you put down your grievances (which Asmar has naught
to do with anyway), and your palette becomes unbiased again, you’ll
hear the levels of sound he spent more than a year assembling from
scores of different musicians, emcees, tapes, breakbeats, and
sources I’m not yet privy to. Play this for a friend and note their
confused glance first at you, then the speakers themselves.
Cavernous dub reggae and DJ Premier hip-hop production mixes with
Brazilian rhythms and Middle Eastern vocals peacefully and
casually.
The thirteen tracks all congeal naturally enough to make you
wonder why it’s not been attempted before. Yes, the Middle Eastern
voices do stand out significantly, and could be where some listener
security ends — at first. After you’ve moved away from the recent
past, though,
Race To The Bottom will reward you with new shades of melody
you initially mistook for dissonance. Are these “versions” of songs
from another dimension, or the future staring you in the face? And
if this is indeed a “follow-up” release, why don’t you own its
predecessor?