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The spectacularly produced melding of generational musical greatness, like the unlikely meet-up of late great Charlie “Bird” Parker and Nine Inch Nails, mysteriously takes place when the eerily layered, jazz-infused strains of “Allow Me” open up to expose the delirious soulfulness of Max Braverman (aka Skopic) and his self-titled debut CD. Live instrumentation and mathematically constructed (and deconstructed) samples collide head-on in a moody, futuristic trip down Tin Pan Alley spanning the disc’s entire length, and especially on track #2, “Salivate for Salvation”, which is highlighted by some downright trippy turntable wizardry and scratching matched with an evil bass lick. While a ton of distortion envelopes the room and overdrive play tricks with your head, this disc continues to chug along with tight musical accuracy, punctuated by strumming acoustic guitars, warped drum sounds, and haunting vocals. On track #8, “Inertia Insists”, a muted guitar line, catchy finger snaps, kitschy disco claps, and a thunderous lead guitar accompaniment all merge into a sea of sheer delight, if only but for a few minutes, a musical orgasm within an orchestrated mini-orgy. Other favorites of mine on this self-produced, self-written and self-recorded gem include “Gloryhole”, “Grab Bag Grammar”, and the last track, #15, “Final Stretch”. Not made for the clubs or dancefloor, but definitely a worthy mind-opening addition to the “Electronica” collection.-- review by Carl Noone Jr.
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