Arts the Beatdoctor - "Transitions"

Arts the Beatdoctor - Transitions (Unexpected 2007)

Arts the Beatdoctor - Transitions / Unexpected

Now here's another record, slightly downtempo, definitely laid-back, that will hopefully see a Stateside release soon. You can only wait so long when a record like this is as good as it is. In fact, we here in the US aren't the only ones suffering: Currently, Transitions is available in exactly three countries. So obviously, they're in the minority when it comes to seats at the UN, where 192 nations are currently recognized. Or is it 194? Ah well, nevermind.

Point is, this one's for the books. And as a full-length debut, the Utrecht, Netherlands-based beatsmith has done well for himself. His web presence is minimal and biographies are hard to come by, but we know this much about his catalog: It's equally thin, limited in fact to a single EP called Fragments that came out on Unexpected Records in February of last year. With just two official releases to his credit, the Beatdoctor dropped Transitions in Japan and then released it in the Low Countries late last month. All of the songs from that EP are included here in this seemingly bulky 15-song debut.

In fact, it is the unbearable lightness of beating that inhabits this very nocturnal album. Jazzy beats and smoove grooves give way to occasional dips in the hip-hop pool. Hey, chill out man. It's summer. You can't always have the density of El-P as the soundtrack to your skinny dipping. Beware that the vinyl version, should you choose to purchase that over the CD, omits a few interludes ("Blending Quality," "Revolve," "Reprise," and "Mellow Drama" all get the boot on wax)... But the celerity of that version actually makes for a tighter record.

The secret to this record is thus: Both work depending on your mood. If you're feeling a little more thoughtful and need a little more time to soothe down and cool the jets, the elongated CD version is bound to appeal to you. If, however, you're looking for more of a chilled hip-hop vibe, get the plates. Both are sublimely executed and would go well alongside Yesterdays New Universe or maybe that Urbs release that came out last year, Toujours le Même Film. Of course, their excuse was that they were reworking 60s Paris. The guest appearances here by Pete Philly, Sense and The Proov are more reworking Jurassic 5 and others from the early- to mid-90s. On "All of Us," Pete Philly's caught red-handed rapping the all-together-now lines "This is for you, this is for me / this is for us, can't you see? / This is for everybody all over the world." I find it pretty hard to take overly positive or socially conscious hip-hop seriously, but what can I say? The beats are the star here.

Horns, nothing says NPR background music like meandering horns floating through a mix. Arts has got that in spades, surgically inserting them in cuts like "Fragments" to great effect as sampled movie scenes add a vocal element that would otherwise make for an instrumental affair. There are quite a few clips sampled on this record, but they never intrude in that annoying ClearChannel rock commercial way, the ones where it's like "Aliens? Don't you know what that MEANS?! *Static* [Hysterical laughter] *Static* New rock. *Heavy riff, Broseph* NOW." Yeah, it's not like that.

All in all, I'm digging it. With five guys composing Arts the Beatdoctor Quintet, you can see how effective this might be in a live lounge or, conversely, live festival setting. Intimate venue or not, this music has the potential to reach so many people partly because it doesn't intrude. The featured guests here can swear all they want, but the effect is dulled by 60s keyboards and subtle effects wizardry that brings the jazz-hop closer to the realm of noise-collage (as on "Transitions"). This is a hard record to scratch the surface of, and it's likely that you'll not want to given that it's strong enough as a downtempo record. But look a little closer, listen just that little bit harder, and you'll hear something more. It's the sound of people in more than three countries being exposed to aural goodness. Who among the represented delegates would want to argue with that?