Meet J57. One listen to this record and you’ll know that he and his crew, the Brownbag All Stars, run Fat Beats New York (a legendary little place we happen to have done a feature on). These guys are so steeped in the tradition of New York boom-bap that DJ Premier’s nod of approval to Digital Society, J57’s debut album, seems to have meant everything and more.

There’s nothing wrong with dogmatic hip-hop, but what’s especially refreshing about this album is that it sees the Brooklynite test the waters of electronic music. There’s not a single sample on this album, I’ll bet, and that’s a bold step to take for someone who’s come up on 12-inches and 16-bar verses.

So where does this new direction leave us? Not with a new genre, that’s for sure. Boom-bap slams have been mixed with electronica plenty of times before. But there are some really nice touches here: the pounding of the drums on ‘Equilibrium‘ should let any listener know their place in the chain of command. Its doomsday-choirs add a nice touch, too, and the dirty drums are well-balanced by big-sounding synths.

With the sound consistently polished, it’s the album’s dirtier counterpoints that form the jewels. One example is the pounding bass on ‘Kevlar Rex‘. At once screwed up and jittery, ‘Frogger‘ boast synths bound to shatter brick structures of any size. The choirs from ‘Equilibrium’ reappear on the title track, where they sit comfortably between some poignant strings and smoothly running keys to instill a gripping mood.

Rather than the bonus tracks with guest emcees, it’s the short, instrumental treats that form the highlight of Digital Society. And though the rampant shout-outs give it a slight promo-feel, we still have ourselves a promising debut from J57. Sven Carlsson

Words Sven Carlsson Digital Society
Download Beyond the Infinite Pt. 2 here