Ego Death [LP] [Bonus Tracks]

by The Internet

Overview

Matt Martians' design for Ego Death asserts that the Internet, which the producer co-pilots with singer/songwriter and producer/engineer Sydney Bennett, should be considered a band, not a duo. The names of the additional four -- keyboardist Jameel Bruner, guitarist Steve Lacy, bassist Patrick Paige II, and drummer Christopher Allan Smith -- along with those of numerous associates and guest artists, appear throughout the credits of the Internet's third and best album. While part of the appeal of Purple Naked Ladies and Feel Good was in their off-the-cuff and unassuming qualities, some of the songs verged on sketches and happenstance tangents that merely evoked a chemically enhanced and/or intimate mood. The majority of Ego Death is tighter. Bennett has refined her songwriting without reducing the candid approach that colors her past compositions. Additionally, the tangents are fewer and more substantive. It doesn't pick up where Feel Good left off. Instead of opening with a free-flowing mood-setter, the album starts with Bennett's voice barely above a whisper, declaring "Now she wanna fuck with me," daydreaming about escape, in tandem with trudging bass and lapping percussion. Much of what follows is similarly direct, or at least as concise. "Girl," co-produced by Bruner and Kaytranada, is a dimly lit gem of a ballad, a simple love song with loping bass and fluttering synthesizer evoking heartache with as much resonance as Bennett's words. Other nuanced, low-key standouts sound like they started as informal jam sessions and were shaped into near perfection. In the cloud surfing, James Fauntleroy-assisted "For the World," Bennett's consciousness is so altered that she blissfully slurs to a lover that she's willing to kill for her, then dismisses the thought with "We're chillin' instead, give me a kiss." Bennett's sharp pen and ability to convey a mix of emotions are also in top form in "Under Control," where she impels a relationship with a lot of conviction and a little anxiety. One of the best noncommercial R&B albums of 2015, Ego Death is perfectly timed, in sync with -- and distinct from -- other standout releases connected to the thriving L.A. community, including Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, Kamasi Washington's The Epic, Miguel's WILDHEART, and Bilal's Adrian Younge-produced In Another Life. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	10/30/2015
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0888751188815

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Get Away
2. Gabby
3. Under Control
4. Go with It
5. Just Sayin'/I Tried
6. For the World
7. Girl

Disc 2

8. Special Affair
9. Somthing's Missing
10. Partners in Crime, Pt. 3
11. Penthouse Cloud
12. Palace/Curse
13. Famous
14. Missing You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Internet   Primary Artist
Cisco Adler   Guitar
Janelle Monae   Featured Artist
James Fauntleroy   Featured Artist
Daniel Marley   Guitar
Dave Rosser   Guitar
Janelle Monae Robinson   Vocals
Tyler, The Creator   Featured Artist
Tay Walker   Vocals (Background)
Vic Mensa   Featured Artist
Matthew Martin   Drums,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Patrick Paige II   Bass,Drums,Guitar
Christopher Allan Smith   Drums
Kaytranada   Featured Artist
Durand Ferebee Jr.   Vocals (Background)
Jameel Bruner   Organ,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Christopher Goldsmith   Drums
Steve Lacy   Bass,Guitar,Featured Artist
Sydney Bennett   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Nick Green   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Cisco Adler   Engineer,Producer
Jimmy Douglass   Mixing
The Highlights   Producer
James Fauntleroy   Composer
David Kutch   Mastering
Daniel Marley   Composer,Producer
Brian Kennedy   Producer
Janelle Monae Robinson   Composer
Matt Martians   Design
Tyler Okonma   Composer,Producer
The Internet   Producer
Vic Mensa   Composer
Taylor Parks   Composer
Matthew Martin   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
Patrick Paige II   Producer
Christopher Allan Smith   Mixing,Producer
Kaytranada   Producer
Jabari Jacobs   Photography
Xavier McHugh   Engineer
Jameel Bruner   Producer
Steve Lacy   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Sydney Bennett   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
Nick Green   Composer,Vocal Producer