Multi-talented producer Brainiac [The Archive] continues to push the musical boundary with his style of experimental and progressive instrumentals. His latest project A Search For An Escape is a 21 track body of work inspired by the producer’s feelings about the current state of affairs in the US. The kicker here is how he incorporates various socially conscious themes into the mix and threads the entire body of work with snippets that punctuate the topic at hand.

The project opens with “A_corrupted:MAN’s[Thoughts], “ a short intro comprising dark and moody basslines with a plethora of vocal samples from rap songs, documentaries and movies. This is followed by “_job:[POLITICS]” a smooth lofi-boom-bap piece with moody keys and punchy drums. The following tracks, “I’m_fine:[NOT]_really “ and “It’s_[NOT]:worth_it” take listeners into a different emotional sphere. The former has an ethereal and dreamy vibe and features a vocal sample talking about domestic violence, while the latter is permeated by a playful chant from some women and crunchy drums with dusty aesthetics. The track ends with a playful, soulful song dismissing the 304s, amongst other spliced vocal samples about chasing women instead of chasing one’s goals. Brainiac explores self in “they_only[see]MY:mistakes_ “ where he flips the legendary live performance of BIG and the late Dj Big Kap alongside Q-Tip’s vocals. This serves as a snapshot of his life as he deals with his own mistakes. Other notable tracks include “Underrated Marvel_ ,“ “the_Lies:you_were[TOLD] .“ The tracks deliver somewhat refreshing and off-kilter sounds that range from woozy textures, stuttering sample chopping techniques, glitchy grooves an unexpected vocal sample that is anchored on news clips about real-time issues ranging from political and socially conscious themes. “the_BLACK:[sheep] “ starts with a glitchy drum groove, rich jazzy bass line and off-beat sample chops that switch things up while “The:[working]_homeless “ offers listeners a moody and almost downcast vibe. “National Debt:[clock]_ “ looks into the current economic situation with a gloomy perspective, “LIFE_is:but_a[Daze] “ ramps up the angst with a punchy drum groove, prevalent guitar lick and the usual vocal sample chops that amplify the feeling of reflection.

“_48[days]:LEFT” comprises bass-heavy grooves reminiscent of early Dilla sounds while “almost[30]:I’m_STILL_failing at life” chops up a soul-stirring sample with efficacy. This is followed by “Where_did:The[TIME]_go (I’m Still Here) “ with a recurring motif that evokes nostalgia. The tracks “_all:in[VAIN] ,“ “I:blame_you[PARENTS] “ and “_your status as a man is conditional “ thread unbeaten paths. From the prevalent basslines, the use of unprecedented vocal samples and downtempo drums showcase Brainiac’s knack for pushing the musical boundaries. The project goes on a tier with production which strays from the norm by any means necessary. The glitchy and choppy approach cus across the board while the subtle vocal clips add nuance to the overall piece. The final track “_logging:off” helps bring things to a somewhat blissful close as Brainiac crafts a summery vibe beat with head-nodding drums and a wide variety of sample clips to go along. Other dope tracks to check out include “Industry:DISRESPECTING_my[craft] ,“ “_NOTICE OF TERMINATION “ and “pearls:Before[SWINE]_ “ which explore a crosssection of topics ranging from love for music, the social culture and self-discovery of this thing called life.

 

In summary,A Search For An Escape is a dense and forward-thinking project that fuses cohesiveness in storytelling, social and political themes with underground hiphop sounds.