There are HipHop-artists who breed their very own supporters to follow them unconditionally through the world wide web – all they need are viral marketing gimmicks and an endless output of quasi-algorithmic brain-gushes on various social media platforms. In contrast, there are those who still put their music before such image-polishing negligibilities, who have supplied us with high grade output over the years and who have grown to become their very own quality warranty without making a big fuzz about it. Oddisee sure is one of them. »The Beauty in All«, his seventeenth (!) release, renders homage to the beauty of the imperfect. True to the motto: »Those only doing what they know will always be stuck with who they already are«, these 12 new instrumentals present themselves in a refreshing hybridity made of the established future-boom-bap-model-kit and a progressive fusion-aesthetic. Of course, you’ll still find the typical tricks from his toy box, as shown in »The Gospel« or »Social Insecurity« – a drum beat, a brass-set and an ideal amount of dust particles remain to be the sure shots of Amir el Khalifa. And still, the Diamond District-General tries out unusually reduced arrangements, like in the pre-released »After Thoughts« or »No Rules For Kings«. The latter has an organic bass line, which, combined to the melancholy piano-overture, kaleidoscopically caresses its way into your ear conch. There are a few parts at which the throttled structures are dangerously close to drifting into the shallow waters of elevator-jazz; but Oddisee’s touch for unorthodox drum-settings always saves the tune in the end. It’s a touch that might not offer any new perspectives, but it sure keeps his followers in position.
The Beauty In All
