Milwaukee producer 89 Godzilla’s latest album is called Post Modern Altruistic Self-Conscious Robots, and if the title sounds like something The Beastie Boys might have named a collection of instrumental demos, that’s oddly appropriate. The 26-year-old producer’s tracks share the same loose, funky vibe of a Beasties jam session; sometimes so much so that you almost expect a Money Mark keyboard swoop to crash tracks like “Futuristic Groove Machine” and “The Grooviest of the Grooves.” Even when the album veers into more contemporary electronic styles like 2 step and garage, it keeps one foot planted firmly in the kitschy spirit of the ’70s.
And a curious sense of composition carries through the record, which feels raw and impulsive and times, and exceedingly deliberate at others. “I’m a classically trained jazz drummer, but with limited space and lots of neighbors, I turned to electronic music to get my fix,” the producer explains in an email. “I am a self-taught guitarist and pianist, and a self-taught DAW user.”
You can stream the record below, via Bandcamp. My personal favorite track: “Water Break,” because it’s got the dizziest funk loop, but I’m also fond of “Riding That Swirly Thingy,” a fucked-up jazz/house hybrid that’s making me nostalgic for Squarepusher.
