Bisc1: When Electric Night Falls

Embodying three of the four elements of hip-hop — tagging, rapping, and DJing — Bisc1 knows how to stay busy. While you most likely know him best for his graphic design seen on packaging for artists like El-P and Aesop Rock, When Electric Night Falls will change that. Before catching the eye (or ear) of the underground rap world, however, Bisc’s rapping will need to get to the level of the production heard on this album. The beats are dark, but not grimy; trippy, but not psychedelic. They perfectly capture the “night-time” concept of the album. For example, there is Blockhead’s superb and haunting production on “Turbulence”, which is easily one of the best tracks.

But that’s not to say the emceeing is all bad. His storytelling, especially on “Paranoia”, is strong enough to keep your attention. Bisc just falls short in the swagger/emotion department. Strangely enough, he shines the brightest on the bonus track at the end of “Great Escape”. When Electric Night Falls, like other Embedded releases, isn’t groundbreaking or revolutionary. It’s simply another solid album that’s sure to lead to a noteworthy career. That is, of course, if Bisc maintains his impressive work ethic.