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Polyphonic the Verbose

Abstract Data Ark
Audio 8
http://www.audio8.com
hip hop,rap,

By Dalia Cohen
September 06, 2006

Polyphonic (aka Polyphonic the Verbose and Will Freyman) must be an interesting dude. Not only has he created an appealing and fresh bridge between experimental beats and hip-hop with his recent album, Abstract Data Ark, but his next project is about animal communication and species-centrism. Polyphonic, whose roots are deeply embedded in music study, has successfully produced an album that combines hip-hop, dubbed-out reggae, live instrumentation; two flutes, a guitar and a trumpet mixed with glitches, bleeps, heavy bass, abstract beats and all kinds of media snippets. The album flows seamlessly from beginning to the end starting off on the abstract head nodding, glitch-y tip with the track “Container Of Life.” It then heads towards note-worthy bass, beats and hip-hop with the up-tempo “Moving On” featuring up and coming Chicago emcee Nico B, and “Out to Lunch” with Psalm One. Abstract Data Ark gets deeper and darker with tracks like “Machine with Sealed Inputs” and the heavy, foghorn inspired “Emperor Titus.” Combining hip-hop and experimental beats can be dangerous territory and is even considered “over” by some, with producers focusing on a more artist driven sound. But in the left-field hip-hop section Abstract Data Ark definitely shines.