Producer RJD2 has fallen off the radar since 2002’s fantastic Deadringer. And while his fourth album, The Colossus, may not exactly pick up where Deadringer left off — there’s more emphasis on funk and soul than in the past — it suggests how RJD2 got into the whole hip-hop producer thing in the first place. His music has always been cinematic in scope, and instrumental tracks like the blaxploitation-soundtrack-ready “Let There Be Horns,” the shuffling, bombastic funk of “Giant Squid” and the sci-fi club-bounce of “A Spaceship for Now” are widescreen, headspace-morphing cuts. The nuances and variety of sounds keep these tracks fresh and intriguing. Guest-vocal tracks like the big-band soul of “Crumbs Off the Table” and the synth-saturated hip-hop of “A Son’s Cycle” are equally captivating. A few songs, like “Games You Can Win” and “The Glow,” disappoint because the music is more backdrop than focus. But they don’t disrupt this album’s energetic and detailed flow. — Matt Whelihan
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.
