Polyphonic (the Verbose) has put out an ambitious and far-reaching debut in A.D.A.. The eclectic producer presents a collage of hip-hop instrumentals and futuristic dub tracks while providing backing for a variety of MCs. His cut-up tracks function best as instrumentals – the simple melodies and slick, yet choppy drum programming make for intriguing listening. Comparisons to Prefuse 73 and RJD2 are earned and deserved. The experimental and throwback MCs are a nice pairing with Polyphonic’s cut and paste production, but one wonders why such a musical talent feels the need to invite them in the first place – they end up taking away more than they add. An entirely instrumental album would have been much more cohesive – let’s hope there’s one in the future.

Justin Feinstein
August 3, 2006