Quasimoto - Further Adventures of Lord Quas (26 tracks) +Album Reviews

Stoned Immaculate

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 07/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is my first outing with Quasimoto. After hearing the Madvillain album, I was totally enthralled by Madlib's unique and original production. I was also interested in Quasimoto's helium-voiced banter, and how it would hold up through a full length album. The results are definitely not what I expected; as it pushes the envelope much further than the "Madvillainy" album. The 26 tracks actually translate to nearly 60 grooves, skits, songs and interludes. Which means if you like or dislike a part, it will most likely pass within the same track. But there is an underlying theme to the whole album, and most of them are observatory under the influence of marijuana, among other things (see cut 19, "Shroom Music"). It's a parody of urban street life. Quasimoto appears to be a street-smart kid, spouting off his perspective on several things. Good examples of this would be "Bullyshi*", where he deals with bullies, or "Greenery" where he smokes and buys weed, or "Bus Ride" where he deals with a crazy cracked out panhandler. Some of this stuff is so crazy, it would seem that the Anticon label would be distributing this stuff. Where artists like Dose One and Pedestrian seem excentric and forcefully unusual, Quasimoto and Madlib hold stronger to their hip-hop roots. Not to say that it's all hip-hop; as several quirks of jazz, soul, funk and easy listening have been thrown into the mix. Make no mistake about it, this album is as pro-weed as any Cypress Hill record, and is probably most enjoyable over a packed bowl. But where the music brought forth by Cypress Hill was very lazy, sticky and stoned itself, Madlib shines new light on the same message. His music does sound stoned, but in a much dirtier, complex multi-element sort of way. Take "Players of the Game" for instance (one of my favorites); water splashes, zipper sounds, crazy tweaked out bells, soft soulful background vocals, and beat juggling turntable action. Tracks like that are just candy for the ears.

Although I very much enjoyed the adventures that take place throughout the album, I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't an exhausting listen. It's not easy to digest whatsoever. There are times where you just start to settle into a groove, and then poof, it's gone. But that's something I, and many fans of Madlib have come to accept (and expect). This is definitely on the cutting edge of hip-hop; musically, lyrically, and thematically. I would like to say that the balance of weird quirky elements and accessibility is perfect, but it's not really, thus the four star rating. I've listened to the album about 6 times, and it's still growing on me.

Madlib lives in the studio; that's obvious. Getting blazed and making music is his thing, and he does it very well. Music like this can be compared to Ween's "The Pod" (where they locked themselves cabin, inhaled lots of scotchguard, and made an album on an eight-track). It's an adventure in inspiration brought forth while under the influence of drugs. I know that seems harsh, but it's not something you hear everyday (at least this extreme). Madlib is on the forefront of futuristic production in hip-hop, and he's proven himself time and time again. Madlib is the epitome of originality. And originality is hard to grasp sometimes. So be patient with this baby."

One of the Best Rap Albums of the Year

billy | 10/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Further Adventures of Lord Quas is the Trout Mask Replica of rap. Madlib, much like Captain Beefheart, has a unique style that is hard to penetrate and hard to pin down. The songs on this album aren't really songs per se, they are more like random clips and odd ball samples with the occasional spattering of rhyme thrown in. The album is dizzying to listen to. Their must be 50 or 60 little mini skits, song fragments, and other oddities sprinkled through the album. All this combines to make one of the best and innovative rap albums to come down the pipe this year.

Madlib/Quasimoto has created an innovative and unique production style that he created with the first Quasimoto album the Unseen, continued with the excellent Madvillian record, and continues to refine with this production. Overall I think that his production sounds more complete on this record than on Madvillian. What makes this a weaker release than Madvillian is the quality of lyrics and the MC involved.

Quasimoto is not as good as MF Doom. Quasimoto seems to be riffing on Doom's style throughout, and his voice can get kind of irritating. He sounds like Eminem on helium and without all the homophobic gay bashing. It's an interesting trick, kind of like what Prince did on If I Was Your Girlfriend, but extended for a whole album. His style can be grating though.

Overall, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas is a good album that fans of off-kilter alternative rap will love. If you like Dr. Octagon, MF Doom, Peanut Butter Wolf, or Aesop Rock, then you'll enjoy this. You want to be patient with it though, Madlib's style is like peeling an onion, you need to remove some of the outer layers before you can get the full effect of it."

Ehhhhhh, maybe it will grow on me (NOTE: it has)

Patrick G. Varine | Georgetown, Delaware | 08/09/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The first Quasimoto album was fantastic. Frenetic beats and rhymes, sprinkled with even more hyper Melvin Van Peebles quotes.

Some people couldn't take the heliumized (is that a word? I doubt it, but I digress...) vocals, but I thought it was hilarious and original.

However, "The Further Adventures of Lord Quas" is a little bit too, I guess, interrupted, for my taste.

I still like the deep-diggin' obscure jazz samples and the Van Peebles quotes (he gets guest billing on the back of the album this time around), but the tracks are pretty short, and too often, they stop right in the middle of a hot beat.

"Greenery" rides a nice 808-style beat while Quas extols the virtues of his favorite herb, and it's fairly obvious that Madlib enjoys spending his days blunted behind the boards. Like I said in the review title, maybe this one will grow on me, but my guess is Lord Quas just hit the sophomore slump.

REVIEWER'S NOTE: Since I've written that review, much of the album has grown on me. There are still a few tracks that I could do without, and a lot of them are interrupted by sound bytes and the like, but "Closer" is front-runner for my Hip-Hop Song of the Year, as Quas and MF Doom stick-and-move atop a dissonant jazz riff. "Raw Addict, Pt. 2" is my write-in for Beat of the Year and "Hydrant Game" sports an addictive track and hilarious chorus ("You ain't gotta go away mad, girl/Just go away/Lord Quas ain't the one to play the hydrant game...").

Not as good as the first Quas album, but still a deep-diggin' banger for the most part."

For when you're feeling green...

Greg Locke | Fort Wayne, IN USA | 12/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The hype surrounding Quasimoto's 2000 debut album, The Unseen, rendered Madlib (aka Lord Quas, aka Otis Jackson Jr., aka DJ Rels, aka Monk Hughes) as a forever stoned, twenty-four hour beathead unable to function outside of his private basement studio. The albums' curious, multi-personality design had much of the hip-hop press wondering if Madlib was okay; the rock press, however, loved it. Was this another case of the alternative press turning a hip-hop act into a novelty, or were folks really grasping what Madlib was trying to do while standing on stage dressed as a six foot tall yellowish, furry, snouted creature?

Eventually word surfaced that while working on multiple serious projects, Madlib pieced together his Quasimoto concept on the side, never planning to release it. The story goes that Stones Throw owner/Madlib landlord Peanut Butter Wolf talked Jackson into taking a chance and releasing what was at the time perhaps the most daring hip-hop album to see widespread distribution. In the years since, Madlib has become arguably the most creative and prolific figure in underground hip-hop. And Lord Quas? He's done a nice job of dividing hip-hop fans with his lunacy, and believe it or not, he's back for more mischief with his unimaginable sophomore album, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas.

Spread out over twenty-six tracks, Adventures plays out more like a Captain Beefheart or Frank Zappa project than your typical rap release. Using more samples than any standard ten rap albums combined, Madlib has created an ambitious sound menagerie that can hardly keep it's focus long enough to ever hit the two minute mark. Mixing oddball samples, vocal experiments, various sound-bites, and other unidentifiable sources with beats and an occasional rap, Jackson doesn't tell a story, but further sculpts the world he shares with his high-pitched alter-ego Lord Quas.

So what exactly is Quas like, you ask? First off, he is the bad character. Much like Madlib, Quas is a big fan of the greens. In fact, similar to The Unseen, Adventures often feels like a testament to the raw creative madness that can be brought on by a little bit of reefer, or in Jackson's case, a boat load. Rather than exploring themes, Madlib focuses on style and attitude, spending the glut of his time developing the personality of his all-too-bored studio partner Quasimoto.

Equal parts funny and confusing, Adventures is not for the everyday rap (or rock) listener. In fact, Adventures isn't for the everyday mind. With repeat listens, the beats start setting in and the subtle themes and jokes become lovably novel. Believe it or not, the vocal effects, bothersome as they may first seem, might even start to make sense. Quas is not here to be easy, Madlib makes that very clear from beginning to end with only the single, "Rappcats Pt.3," coming off as accessible.

Often times feeling more like a hip-hop version of a Cheech and Chong film, Adventures retains a high entertainment value throughout; that is, if you realize before pressing play that you are in store for a wholly madcap listening encounter. Jackson already has a number of first-rate hip-hop and jazz albums under his belt; to some, Adventures is just another peep into Madlib, hip-hop's current classic character, and his studio shadow, Lord Quas, the bad character.

"

Some real underground hip hop with well produced beats

G. Kubrak | Israel | 07/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"if u posses at least some form of intelligence and have a good sense of humor, dont sleep on this one! especially if u actually listen to the lyrics. but the beats on this are so ill, it runs with dr. octagynocologist but its more cerebral, insightful, and multidimensional. it goes great with a volcano vaporizer"

Search - Quasimoto :: Further Adventures of Lord Quas

CD Details

Synopsis

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews