Madlib – Medicine Show No.3: Beat Konducta in Africa (2010) [Stones Throw] // Grade: A

Lope (n): an easy usually bounding gait capable of being sustained for a long time. Loping, that is what Madlib’s music does. You don’t put on a Madlib record to do the high jump if you’re an Olympic Vilager. If you’re chillin’ at the Olympic Village bumpin’ Madlib, it’s because you’re running the marathon. So, not much has changed since the last Medicine show. Madlib is still makin’ dope beats, they’re still very minimal constructions, and you’ll still be chilled out noddin’ your head when you bump Beat Konducta in Africa.

The Beat Konducta series is yet another of Madlib’s projects that seems to have coincided with the Medicine show series. Cool. In this issue Madlib is heavy on the African samples, and the result is pretty enigmatic. The record cruises through between 80 and 90 BPM for the most part, and the composition are sparse. In addition to the instruments, there are some really good vocal samples. I was incredibly surprised to hear a Steve Reich sample. On “Land of the Drum” we hear a repeated snippet from “Come Out.” I’m a bit apprehensive about over-analyzing, but let’s get into this just for a minute for the fun of it. In 1966 Steve Reich composes “Come Out” using tape loops that move in and out of synch, creating a very striking effect. In the 70s Steve Reich travels to Ghana where he studies drumming. He comes back from Africa and revolutionizes American music when he composes Drumming. Kind of cool that Madlib would wrap all of that up into one tidy package taking “Come Out” to the “Land of the Drum.”

And, I guess it’s the “wrap it up into a tidy package” factor that’s at work in this record. A large portion of Madlib’s work takes place as he listens to a heap of records and decides what to use, how to build a pallet that will suit his needs. He acts as a filter. He’s collecting all sorts of records, going through them, and pulling out the pieces to build a new record that then reflects his whole process of sourcing, editing, and compiling. And his final product also reflects the African artists’ original processes of composing, playing, and recording. This is a very playful record, and it sounds like Madlib just got in the studio with a ton of records and had a good time with sounds and gear.

There is a ton of source material in here. You couldn’t make an album like this without spending a decent amount of time first compiling records—unless you were getting into set sales, or buying out collections. I don’t know enough to cite all the musical styles that are sourced here, but there is certainly a smattering (you like that word?) of a number of styles. Madlib really does a commendable job here putting together an open-ended soundtrack for you to assign to whatever you should please—as long as its loping, and Afro-centric.

- Zachg