Music Is...RJD2 - The Colossus

January 19, 201

It's pretty funky how I came across this album. Back in early or mid 2010 In a pack of Bic razors I purchased was a code to download a free song. Of course I forgot what that site was but that's beside the point anyway. The song I decided to download was "Games You Can Win ft. Keena" from the album "The Colossus". At the time I was simply interested in hearing something new. Something I hadn't heard before because musically things started to feel a little mundane. Anyway, I downloaded the song and I immediately jived to it. Throughout the intro and the body of the song is this (I guess) xylophone, music box, lullaby/space melody going on. But it adds to the tone so I like it very much.

RJD2 (Ramble John Krohn) has been doing his thing since 1993. Born in Eugene, Oregon, he got his start DJing in Columbus for the rap group MHz.Switching between many labels based in Oregon if I'm right, he released the mix CD "Your Face Or Your Kneecaps" and other various albums such as his solo debut "Deadringer" and "Things Go Better With Rj An Al" under his then alias Soul Position. In 2006 he also covered the Radiohead track "Airbag" for his album "Exit Music". His 2007 solo album "The Third Hand"on XL Recordings rendered him an extensive tour lasting from 07' to 08'. Very notable in skateboarding, the skate film subculture and often used in montages. 2009 was the year he established his own label RJ’s Electrical Connections and reissued The Horror, Your Face Or Your Kneecaps, and "Since We Last Spoke" as well as a box set entitled “2002-2010”, something I definitely need to check out. Which brings us to the release of The Colossus January of last year on his new label RJ's Electrical Connections distributed by The Orchard.

Colossus has what is to me a jazzy, somewhat electrical, hip-hop vibe going on within it. The Title of each track grabs my attention as well. For example the song "A Spaceship For Now", cause there won't be on later, "Crumbs Off The Table", and "Giant Squid" just to name a few. Now I've heard a few underground things before, and just like the others I appreciate the individualism happening with this record. Take the track "The Stranger". It gets kinda drastic, up and down in areas, and then mellows out. All the tracks are mellow but not so much in a way that they become lazy, they're still upbeat. I like this one, its worth listening to.