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pH10

Well Connected

(self-released; US: 21 Oct 2008)

pH10 likes it loud, that much is obvious. The entirety of his latest album, Well Connected, is an exercise in pushing the sound faster and louder, the purpose being to motivate your adrenaline or some such nonsense. The production is top notch, clean and masterfully constructed, and the sounds being used are suitably aggressive, with predictably profane samples and a few rappers along for the ride who ensure that the listening experience of Well Connected will not be a casual one. 


By far the highlight is “Enter the Underground”, a breakneck drum ‘n bass track with Pete Miser rapping all over the top of it that actually achieves the fun-yet-intense ideal that so much of the album strives for. Unfortunately, it all just starts sounding like so much noise after a while; there’s no conflict, no trajectory, no venue for human interest. It’s all just fast and loud, and it might make you dance for 15 minutes, but then it’ll give you a headache for a half-hour.


When you’re partying like this, the hangover should never come so quick. Still, as source material for mixtape tracks and as part of an underground DJ’s repertoire, it’ll do just fine. pH10 quite obviously knows what he does best, and for better or worse, he sticks to it like glue through the entirety of Well Connected.

Rating:

Mike Schiller is a software engineer in Buffalo, NY who enjoys filling the free time he finds with media of any sort -- music, movies, and lately, video games. Stepping into the role of PopMatters Multimedia editor in 2006 after having written music and game reviews for two years previous, he has renewed his passion for gaming to levels not seen since his fondly-remembered college days of ethernet-enabled dorm rooms and all-night Goldeneye marathons. His three children unconditionally approve of their father's most recent set of obsessions.


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