BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition August 2018

MUSIC REVIEWS
The Internet
Hive Mind
Columbia Records
No one would catch flak for saying Gang Starr
remains, 15 years since their final album, one of rap
music’s greatest duos. In 1994, Gang Starr’s Guru
said, “If your voice ain’t dope then you need to chill.”
A quarter-decade down the slipstream, it’s maybe
the most potent, reliable heads-up an artist can
abide by since the Wu-Tang reminded us to protect
our necks. It begins and ends with your pipes —
success is in your larynx.
In the case of The Internet, the repository of their
success is the viva voce of Syd Tha Kyd. Her voice is
breathy and nebulous, seeping between cracks and
osmoting to whatever spaces need its warmth. Her
voice is shapeless and consistent, one that emanates
from the centre of a fog without boundaries and
caries until its presence is no longer needed.
Since their 2011 debut, Purple Naked Ladies
(Odd Future Records) — which, in retrospect,
sounds an awful lot like the neo-soul revivalism that
manifested in a generational crop of R&B artists —
The Internet have been moseying at their own pace,
living and dying by Syd’s voice. Early in their careers,
as they began emphasizing the operations of their
own autonomy and began to distance themselves
from Odd Future, there were times when their ideas
ran as long as her vocal chords and they found
themselves lost once they ran their course. Matt
Martian is a capable producer with a sharp ear and
compositional instincts, but as a young bandleader,
he lacked the tact and discipline to galvanize the
group. The other three positions — Steve Lacy
on guitar, Patrick Paige II on bass and Christopher
Smith on drums — have been roundly serviceable,
though none has truly shone bright. The band itself
hadn’t verily capitalized on their wealth of talent
until 2015’s Ego Death (Odd Future Records), which
saw a more unified aesthetic built around Syd and
Martian’s diffident chops, rather than of it. And it
seems their evolution hasn’t plateaued.
Hive Mind (Columbia Records), released on
the rump of July, is the fullest realization of The
Internet’s potential. All the elements that for so
long felt like diffused textures floating aimlessly
now seem to bounce in the same direction. It’s an
introverted funk, one that feels like each crack of
bass is lifted from the pavement and each guitar
riff is being sucked into the song’s nucleus. The
general mood of the album remains relevant to
their brand — subdued, oriented toward the quiet
groove beneath the pomp, and deeply funky — but
it now feels effortless. Hive Mind feels like a 3 a.m.
daze, each song neon-lit floor of a multi-story club.
Each track stands out, though never so much so
that it hinders the greater flow of the album; these
tracks (stories, another metaphor, whatever), wind
down and transition into the next like wandering in
a fugue state. Martian’s dreamlike keys allow each
song to float into a respective atmosphere that,
while still defined, is airy enough not to encroach
on the next. And Syd, who was originally seen
as the most melodically gifted member in Odd
Future’s young camp, has made good on her early
promise. She sounds comfortable and sexy like the
neo-soul standard-bearer that’s always been hinted
at; she sounds like a Solange or a Badu, Maxwell or
D’Angelo.
The aforementioned auxiliary members appear
roused by this newfound confidence. With Syd and
Matt finally living up to their all-star billing, the
remaining role-players have rounded themselves
into a worthy supporting cast. Smith, Paige II and
Lacy have been with the band since 2013 and 2015,
respectively, and their comfort level is a direct
byproduct of their continuity. They’ve reached a
point of synergy where one’s actions is an extension
of the others, and it never feels forced. This is a
record of casual excellence. The flourishes — like
subtle vocal contributions by all members, or Lacy’s
twangy guitar closing out “Stay The Night” and
how it acts as a perfect foil to the metallic stomp
of immediate follow-up “Bravo” — are natural
extensions of each members instincts. The Internet
has reached a nirvana where the sum will outshine
the individual parts, but the parts will still remain
stunning in isolation. In fact, that comparison to
D’Angelo can be extended to the entire band. Hive
Mind might be the most laissez-faire example of
virtuosity since Black Messiah (2014).
Hive Mind’s outro, the album’s longest track,
is the sublime six-minute quiet storm entitled
“Hold On.” Mellow doesn’t do it justice. It sounds
like a Sunday morning milk bath — in Tuscany.
Until nearly its halfway mark, the only hints of a
fully-formed song are disparate: a slinky baseline;
plinks of a shy keyboard; an intermittent synth that
sparkles like passing space-rock; and Syd’s ethereal
lower range. Just shy of three minutes, though,
Smith’s drums bond the elements, allowing each
to feed off the next. Syd croons, “Hold on / Can’t
stop.” For the song and the remainder of the album,
the band members churn their instruments into a
uniform melange of vibes. Five members, one voice.
A singular sound. A hive mind indeed.
• Thomas Johnson
• Illustration by Emille Compion
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