I’m not exactly McGruff the Crime Dog when it comes to sniffing out new genres, but I can usually sense a movement in the offing well enough to keep tabs on at least a few of the principles. This whole ‘glitch’ thing, for example – I’d never claim to know as much as the freakishly knowledgeable electronic-music peeps that always stay one seven-inch ahead of the competition, but I, as usual, can namedrop casually enough to slide by. That’s really all you can do when you’re a Kitchen Sink listener, because (unless you’re unemployed, which I was for a spell recently, but that’s another story) there simply isn’t enough time in the day to hear everything, all the time. In fact, you could even say that the secret to music knowledge is knowing you know nothing; no matter how much dirt you dig up, there’s always another trench waiting for you.
Pedro’s You Me & Everyone is a good example of my Effort to Stay Current grappling with My Unavoidably Limited Depth. I can name offhand a few of his fellow genremen – Adventure Time, Flying Lotus – and throw out a few relatively vague descriptors – jazzy, glitch-y, squiggly – but beyond that I’d likely embarrass myself like the thousands of reviewers worldwide that still misuse the term ‘shoegaze.’
So where the FLIP do I go from here? Ahhh yes, I’ll return to the well that has extracted me from many a jam: track-by-track-description. It’s not pretty, but hey, at least I’m not giving Source Tags & Codes a ‘10,’ right? ; ]
#1, “Intro” – This one pretty much lives up to its name.
#2, “I Am Keeping Up” – Sure to be a favorite of percussion enthusiasts, track No. 2 brings the beeeeeef like a ground chuckburger, immediately slapping down a sturdy beat plank then sending the rhythm to walk off it (the plank, stupid) as a hypnotizing, mesmerizing loop swirls in its own juices for a spell. From here, no party favor is spared, as is no horn bleat, as this track truly has a low-end that won’t quit. What a way to start a fiesta!
#3, “Hallelujah” – After the previous track, anything seems possible, but “Hallelujah” squanders YM&E’s momentum with its short attention span and heavy beat baggage.
#4, “There Will Always Be More” – Which makes batter number 3 even more tantalizing by comparison. This synth-splatter doesn’t go anywhere and only last a minute, and in no way is that depressing.
#5, “Spools” – From this point on, it’s clear Pedro has settled into a groove deep enough to ensnare any nearby needle. Stylish for any stylus, the rhythms of “Spools” spackle themselves to their accompanying samples with aplomb as build-ups, dress-downs, rave-ups, and beat-downs come and go with regularity. The braindead sluts and wanna-be studs at the Klub won’t know how to dance to this, and that’s AWESOME.
#6, “Lung” – I’ll be honest with you: At this point, I’ve totally checked out of this review mentally, physically, and... well, emotionally. But I DO know this: Pedro’s You Me & Everyone is among the most impressive entries I’ve heard in the sort-of-electronic, sort-of-instrumental-hip-hop sweepstakes, and for that I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled.
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