Dosh - The Lost Take

Anticon
Released: October 17, 2006

As more hip-hop acts expand their horizons to include elements of electronica, the aesthetics and attitude of indie rock and a progressive sense of experimentation, a new undefinable genre is gradually emerging. Anticon veteran Dosh's latest release, "The Lost Take", fits the bill as a noteworthy member of this recent phenomenon. Though the album has lofty goals, its aimlessness is the real pleasure: After only a few tracks, it's clear that Dosh isn't concerned with creating an easily classifiable listening experience. Instead, the multi-instrumentalist combines loose samples and jazzy carefree drumming with an impressive ensemble of talented live musicians, adding guitar, bells, and saxophone to the mix.

The most notable guest spot belongs to Andrew Bird, whose looped violin contributions infuse volume into each track until they're eventually overpowered by an always-changing backdrop of ethereal sounds and lush instrumentation. While the melodies ramble along without interruption, they typically leave each song feeling like a beautiful picture going in and of focus, always staying fuzzy and warm. Some tracks end up sounding like the rebellious bastard child of Chuck Mangione and Janis Joplin, almost lite-jazz but decidedly cool. Other tracks wouldn't feel out of place on Manitoba's "Up In Flames" or Four Tet's "Rounds", densely layered but also loose and compromising.

"There was some planning, initially," Dosh commented in a Daytrotter interview. "I knew I wanted to have more live drums on the record, I knew I wanted to use a Chamberlain and a Mellotron, and I wanted it to sound more 'band-y' than my other records. Aside from those general plans, just about everything was developed as I recorded the album." For all practical purposes, Dosh is a one-man band, having recorded 85% of "The Lost Take" alone before allowing friends (including Tapes 'n' Tapes' Erik Applewick) to flesh it out. Regardless of which section at Ear-X-Tacy you can find it, Dosh's uncategorizable sound hints at the future of music in general-- an all-encompassing, wide-spectrum view of what is, what isn't, and what can be.

-Brandon Bass