Hudson Mohawke
'Lantern' (Warp)
9/10
What do we want from a HudMo album? We want to feel high as a fucking kite. We want to be electrocuted from head to toe. We want his rollercoaster productions to be bigger, more vibrant and exhilarating than ever before.
Spoiler: the globetrotting Scot has given it to us.
Five of the 14 tracks feature vocals and two are certified rocket- booster jams. Helium-high synths cascade past Irfane's bittersweet lyrics on 'Very First Breath' and Ruckazoid plays the classic rap underdog on 'Warriors', which also comes loaded with a soaring gospel chorus ("We don't care 'cos love is what we're fighting for / so fuck what they say, 'cos we are the warriors.")
Then there's what HudMo does best: mammoth beats that stomp and crunch and make you feel like you're bathing in liquid ecstasy. A banging rework of DJ Rogers' smooth '73 soul cut 'Watch Out For The Riders' is the definition of triumphant, and 'Scud Books', 'Shadows' and 'Portrait Of Luci' are all lined with Semtex that is – obviously – spine-snappin' in its potency.
He doesn't let us forget the out-there tendencies of his debut LP 'Butter', either. 'Lil Djembe' is pleasingly weird, and 'System' is a juggernaut sent right into the red. But HudMo would likely be disappointed if all we wanted him for were his addictive shots of 99.9 per cent proof serotonin. He'd be holding his head in his hands if we ignored some of the different places he's gone to on 'Lantern'.
The show-stopping surprise is 'Indian Steps' with Antony Hegarty, a beautiful, silken pop song that's the result of a bold but winning collaboration. But pop is also where this sophomore effort overreaches; 'Deepspace' feat Miguel and 'Resistance' feat Jhene Aiko put HudMo in the shop window for this type of production, but don't quite hit the spot. The sugar drops are sherbert-strong on 'Lantern', and away from those it's clear that the album is an attempt to diversify. Apart from a couple of wobbly moments, it's pretty much all high-voltage.
Mixmag will use the information you provide to send you the Mixmag newsletter using Mailchimp as our marketing platform. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us. By clicking sign me up you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.