Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 03/05/2002
Req resurfaced on the left-leaning
Warp after two LPs recorded for
big beat boutique
Skint, and the results put to shame any notions of
underground rap practiced by
Rawkus or
Def Jux. Though his sub-basement sound aesthetic won't win him any crossover converts,
Sketchbook makes a good listen out of
downtempo beatbox musings, similar to
DJ Vadim's earliest work. The beats have an absence of sound quality, reminiscent of tape decks dusty with age, and there's really not much else happening: a few odd keys, melodica, bells, and occasionally some light scratching far away in the background. Those looking for label context will find much to enjoy, since
Warp's notion of
avant-beat listening music makes far more sense for a producer like
Req than the
go-go party music of
Skint.
~John Bush, All Music Guide
;)
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