Los Angeles-based noise-rap trio
clipping.
have come a remarkably long way since
Jonathan Snipes
(formerly of irony-killing duo
Captain Ahab
) and
William Hutson
(aka noise-drone artist
Rale
) established it as a remix project in 2009. Since the addition of MC
Daveed Diggs
(also of
True Neutral Crew
, along with
Signor Benedick the Moor
and
Deathbomb Arc
founder
Brian Kinsman
), the group self-released 2013's well-received mixtape
Midcity
before signing with
Sub Pop
for their full-length debut, 2014's
CLPPNG
. Studio wizard
Snipes
has since written soundtracks for numerous films,
Hutson
completed a Ph.D. in theater and performance studies, and
Diggs
achieved fame as an original cast member of the hit musical
Hamilton
. While
(so titled because its lyrics lacked the most common word in hip-hop, "I") subverted mainstream hip-hop conventions and was equally influenced by
Three 6 Mafia
and academic electro-acoustic composition,
Splendor & Misery
is exponentially more ambitious. The album is essentially an opera about the only survivor of a slave revolt, who is trapped on a spaceship traveling throughout the universe. The story can be likened to an outer space relative of
Drexciya
's underwater mythology, and it draws equally from 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as the brilliant Afrofuturist science fiction author
Octavia E. Butler
, even going so far as to reference characters from her novels in the songs' lyrics ("Air 'Em Out" mentions the Oankali alien race from the Xenogenesis trilogy, while "Baby Don't Sleep" namechecks the mutants known as Clayarks from the Patternist series). While
and subsequent outtakes EP
Wriggle
were more explicitly club-influenced, the sound design on
is far more experimental and less rhythmic; at times it sounds like
' complex, hyper-literate raps are being accompanied by industrial drone artists like
:zoviet*france:
or
Lustmord
. The beats echo the background noises of the spaceship, replicating clanking and whirring noises rather than resembling anything danceable. Only on a few moments do
interject
Whitehouse
-like power electronics and harsh noise. As dystopian as the album seems, there's an undeniable hopefulness present. A handful of tracks feature either gospel-inspired vocals ("True Believer" even quotes the 19th century slave song "I Know When I'm Going Home") or splintered church organ tones. Ultimately, the protagonist ends up celebrating an escape from society and finding freedom in his isolation. Devastating yet optimistic,
is a stunning leap forward for
, and one of the most impressive albums of the year. ~ Paul Simpson