Maceo Plex set sail on his musical journey in 1993, a whole 18 years ago. Through this time he has taken many pseudonyms including ‘Maetrik’ and ‘Mariel ito’ unveiling a vast array of musical concoctions with the help of labels such as Cocoon, Audiomatique, Mothership, Dumb Unit and now Crosstown Rebels. So the man is a journeyman of the industry if you like, not quite hitting the big time. Will this latest offering pave his way into the mainstream?
It opens with the track ‘I’m A Metaphor’ which already holds many connotations for the listener who is just reading the track-listing. Maceo himself proclaimed that he wanted it to be “very versatile with varied moods. Sexy futuristic music spread over 12 totally different tracks. Kind of like a 12 page excerpt out of a Karma Sutra book but set to beats”. A wonderful quote from the creator of this album, clearly signifying a quirky style which is more than likely going to be infused within his music. ‘I’m A Metaphor’ doesn’t disappoint with a very interesting start to the album. It sounds like how a robot would perform a poem at an open-mic night with a wonderfully created conceptual start to what is promising to be an enthralling album.
‘Gravy Train’ takes Maceo back to reality with a more relaxed, stereotypical electro/house track with a laid back and chilled vibe. This is a far-cry from the first track as it is a very predictable song. I was excited after hearing the first song thinking that this is going to take me through many different stages of an electro genre that I hadn’t quite experienced before. But, this track takes me to a very similar one that has been buzzing around this genre for a while. I do not doubt his production credentials as it is a perfectly ok song, just very underwhelming.
Track 3 is very similar to the previous. ‘Sleazy E’ is another house track that doesn’t bring much new to the table. It is an improvement on the track before with a few different sounds but it seems to be a tried and tested formula that has become wary on the ears. The album continues on the same path with the same vibe and almost the same drum setting. I would like to stress that there is nothing wrong with this music, if you are a fan of laid back house music, this is for you. I am just reiterating the point that there doesn’t seem to be much of a new fresh sound that Maceo brings to the table.
‘Your Style’ does offer something different to the standard house music fan with some refreshing vocals which have been lacking through the album. The same funk-influenced drum and synth beat remains but the vocals used do spice it up a bit adding a bit more complexity to the song and adding depth to the album.
The album as a whole is not a terrible album, it is perfectly fine. The problem I seem to have with it is that it seems as if he has just created some tracks that don’t have any complexity or feeling behind it. I am not one to doubt his talent as he clearly knows how to make a house track but the tracks sound so similar that it seems like he sticks to the same formula with every song. The house genre is already congested and dominated by a certain Scandinavian mafia so for me, there has to be something extra special for it to stand out, this lacked that cutting edge. This album could be a stepping stone for Maceo to kick on and create something really good as it does show some potential. The next effort is expected in 2011 and I am intrigued to see what the result of it is.
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‘Gravy Train’ takes Maceo back to reality with a more relaxed, stereotypical electro/house track with a laid back and chilled vibe. This is a far-cry from the first track as it is a very predictable song. I was excited after hearing the first song thinking that this is going to take me through many different stages of an electro genre that I hadn’t quite experienced before. But, this track takes me to a very similar one that has been buzzing around this genre for a while. I do not doubt his production credentials as it is a perfectly ok song, just very underwhelming.
