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If there were two words to describe Ken Dahl's sound it would be massively playful. In the world of out music he provides a bizarre element of fun and folly that's both provocative and outrageous. He's undoubtedly the prince of the playground and with his colossal group of producers (Garlic Bread, MJK, GotDion?! and Royce 2 Kool) providing that element of "massive" sound Ken Dahl has created a musical playground of electronic pop for his latest album, The Adahlcalypse.
The first half of the album is loaded with dynamic tracks starting with the up-tempo song, "Gamez." Filled with high-gloss synth grooves and keyboards "Gamez" sounds like a classic 80's dance record blended with retro game show sound effects. And for Ken love seems to be a losing game as he describes a relationship crumbling under the weight of a lover's deceitful ways.
Besides relationship drama, comedy is also a major element in Ken's music and his comedic nature is never more apparent than on the funky interlude "U Make Me Laugh". Over a simple drum beat, slinky bass plucks and synths Ken gets sassy as he confronts his boyfriend about a random number he's found, "I got this number right out of your pocket / Some bitch named Shaquanmanisha / Yeah, we're gonna call this hoe up right motherfucking now." It sounds like an unabashed modern twist on a Klymaxx record and you can't help but to laugh along as Ken giggles slyly in the background.
Despite his penchant for comedic thrills, Ken still knows how to cleverly handle personal issues such as confidence and self-esteem in his music. On "Walk The Plank" he equates moving past self-doubt to walking the plank of a sailing ship. Over Garlic Bread's beat of blaring whistles, pounding bass, and gun shots, Ken of taking a gamble, "No one got no where / Without taking a risk / Without doing something different / Without pushing the envelope and slashing it up / No one!"
On "Lesser Gorl" Ken gets downright sassy as he bemoans anyone comparing themselves to him or attempting to steal his style, "You lesser gorl / Subtract from me then we got you type of gorl." It's defiant and bold, as well as an undeniable club and ballroom banger.
Ken takes a walk on the sexual side for the song "Rocket" which he fills with metaphors about amusement parks and space rides to express his love of the phallus, "Can I ride your rocket? (Can I ride your rocket?) / Put it in a socket? (Put it in a socket)" It's deliciously randy and the kind of record that you'll quietly sing to yourself before you realize that you're singing it aloud in the most random of places.
The highlight of the album is the intensely sexual track, "Heavy." With it's deep ripples of electronic static, synth blips and snaps, it sounds like the musical equivalent of an engine revving up for a high octane race. It's a barrel of fun as Ken sings of outrageous tales of men coming on to him with heavy swagger before he kindly returns the favor, "Gonna give him something for the road / I take the pump / I put it in my car / I ram it real hard / Then I stop / To feel the pump".
Perhaps taking a cue from Prince, Ken jokingly takes his sexuality in an offbeat direction and tackles the topic of incest on the track, "Cousin." As synth blips, scratches, warbles and flares roll over top of each other Ken details his dismay over an all too awkward meeting with his former lover/cousin at a family cookout; "I can't believe I kissed my / Cousin, cousin / Oh my god, oh my god / I can't believe I did my / Cousin, cousin." It's shockingly catchy in an uneasy but strangely cool kind of way.
For the most part this is a strongly catchy record. The only missteps are on the second half of the album where the songs start to lose their dynamic appeal. "U Flopped" has a good rock inspired beat but it doesn't blend well with Ken's atypical vocals and it makes the track sound awkward. "Feel Ur Beat" sounds like it's missing a layer of sonic weight and doesn't make enough of an impact to be memorable. Besides "U Make Me Laugh" the saving grace of the album's latter half are "Exposure" and "On The Moon," two solid tracks that get the job done but never fully reach the same effect as the album's first half.
Ken Dahl's creative spirit is definitely outside of this realm and requires a bit of imagination and fun on the listeners part to fully digest it. But once you've become comfortable with all of the slides, rides and toys of Ken's musical playground you'll find that he's one exhilirating playmate. Enjoy the play date, kiddies. It's worth the listen.
To download The Adahlcalypse click the link below
Ken Dahl - The Adahlcalypse
Ken Dahl - The Adahlcalypse
Lovely post I couldn't bring myself to say anything about the second half but you hit the nail right on the head.
ReplyDeleteThank you, luv. I try to be very honest without crossing the line into bashing. It's sooo hard at times to critique records when I don't like them. But I want to be sincere and fair.
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