Chris Daly can’t say the word “syllogism” without giggling.
Listening to The Tracatus by Kone is heady stuff, indeed. Not only does the title reference the great work Tracatus Logico-Philosophicus by the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, but vocal snippets throughout quote Nietzsche and espouse the tenants of logical positivism. Now, I’m more of an existentialist myself, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. We can’t all have minors in philosophy from marginally esteemed universities. I’m sure the rest of you people have actual degrees in things that can get you paid and/or laid. Fortunately for you, dear reader, I have no such illusions, so let’s talk about this mother, shall we?
In addition to expanding your mind, Kone quite clearly is here to move your ass. Far reaching esoteric goals aside, The Tracatus is the funkiest beat album you’re likely to hear this year, if not even further into the foreseeable future. I’m not talking G-Funk, or post-funk or any of the dozens of other sub-genres. If the Mothership needed beats, Star Child would be looking in Kone’s direction. Rubbery bass lines, groovy strings, and various other 70s soundtrack woodwinds sit prominently in each of these tracks. Don’t even get me started on that wonderful percussion.
This is a man that does not take crate digging lightly. I’m not sure what he’s sampling, but, goddamn, it’s well chosen. Taking a post-post-dubstep angle, the snare takes center stage on a number of tracks, following nicely in the footsteps of Mophono’s Cut Form Crush from earlier this year. Seemingly every beathead out there today gets hung up in the bass; Kone and Mophono apparently are cut from a different cloth. As luck would have it, that cloth fits loosely, but nicely. Somewhat like Hammer pants, only entirely different.
Now, whether you believe reality is a construct of the viewer’s mind or that it exists independent of any individual, you must admit that we beatheads don’t altogether care, just so long as it’s funky. With The Tracatus, our demands have been met, but I probably don’t Nietzsche tell you that. Yes, I did go there.
Download:
MP3: Kone-“New Los Angeles”
