Blockhead – Luminous Rubble

If you ask someone what New York sounds like in the 21st century, give them any Blockhead album, but especially his latest, »Luminous Rubble«, which has just been released on Def Pressé’s KPM Crate Diggers series. The collaboration with his label gave Tony Simon access to the archives of KPM Music, a company that has been providing production music for commercials and educational films since the early 19th century. (At such a high level that they are still regarded as important pioneers of electronic music in general). And Simon has turned these sounds into an urban summer album as he hasn’t done for a few years. On »Scumlord« a saxophone massages his back until some strings, piano and effects start to smuggle a melody into the track. Everything moves between instrumental hip-hop, soul and jazz. »Dork Crystal« adds a sparse beat to its cinematic violins, before »Homeward Browned Out« recalls Doom’s early work as a producer, but is far less expansive and playful. An album like a short trip to sunsets between canyons, while the lights of the billboards slowly come on and the world stands still for a few bars.