It has been more than a decade since Deltron 3030 released its self-titled debut, and it appears that producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del the Funky Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala haven’t lost their eccentric flair. Del’s characteristic conversational flow—most notably featured on Gorillaz’s “Clint Eastwood” and “Rock the House”—and Automator’s production is stronger than ever. Building off of the otherworldly tone of the group’s first album, Del and company propel their listeners even further into the future (3040 to be exact) with Event II, a hip-hopera sequel that boasts a combination of spacey breakbeats, science fiction themes and an oddball cast of featured artists. However, despite the complex idea behind the album—and possibly as a result of it—the album delivers a solid mixture of tracks with few standouts.
The opening track, “Stardate,” provides a cool introduction to the album’s concept and a “we’re-here-to-save-you” vibe. It features Joseph Gordon-Levitt narrating the album’s backstory in which Deltron Zero and Automator are heroes who have mysteriously disappeared for 10 years, only to return with the purpose of reminding humanity of “simpler times” and quality hip-hop. The track then seamlessly transitions into “The Return,” a song that provokes images of these two space heroes appearing valiantly over an alien horizon.
“Nobody Can” is the next highlight. It features Aaron Bruno of Awolnation on guitar, and the beat straight-up bumps hard. Bruno’s lick over the top of it brings to mind Run-DMC’s effortlessly combination of genres. “Melding of the Minds,” which features Zack De La Rocha, echoes a similar rap-rock vibe that makes me miss Rage Against the Machine. “What is this Lonliness?” featuring Damon Albarn, is probably the best song of the bunch. The combination of Del’s lyricism and Damon’s stuffed-up voice is a match made in heaven.
Deltron 3030 clearly wants people to listen to Event II as a whole rather than dissecting it track by track. However, the goal of producing this kind of music can obscure the idea of creating individual songs worth multiple listens. Also, for being the group’s first album in 13 years, they haven’t seemed to advance their sound as far into the future as they narratively proclaim they have. But make no mistake, Deltron is an undeniable talent with a unique, literate vision of hip-hop, and for that they should be praised.
3 out of 5 stars
