11. Bittersweet (Instralude)

Communication theory accepts nonverbal communication. But as a prejudice, without having a closer look at it, it seems to be easier to communicate with one another, using words. And so an emcee seems to be in the preferred situation, to be able to use his voice and his speech, to express his message. But a DJ talks with his hands. A producer with his beat. And communication does not have to be receives an inputted message, that the recipient decodes the same way it got encoded. Communication can also be a transfer of an emotion, a feeling, or a common idea. Wherein a beat might just be the better medium.

4th Pyramid outta Canada starts with a fittingly titled "Contemplating Where To Begin". This is a short little introduction of what is to come. It's jazz, and it only gives away that it has been put together by a hip hop head, when the piano sample repeats itself constantly. And the hi-hats also have to be mentioned, before we progress to "Eve Of The Renaissance", with guitars competently played by Woodstock. After that, "Light Through The Smog" draws the picture of just that in front of our mental eye. And again, this track could easily fit the shoes of the label jazz. Then one of the dopest tracks on here appears in the form of "Marching Into Armageddon Pt. 2". This track takes us into scared spheres with notes that come the closest to be burning sound waves. Dramatic and combined with an interesting voice sample, the drums constantly change. There are also little effects added and taken away, what makes this much more composed than produced.

A short 'sample' interlude takes us to "Thieves Of Reflection". Fitting the cover work and the name of it's producer, with plucked strings, this strangely enough resembles something Arabic. And this is another track, where the complexity seems to prevent an emcee to be able flow smoothly over it. What doesn't mean it couldn't be done, but why even wondering, since this track is by far interesting enough to not even ask for a vocal contribution. The piano returns on "Memories Of A Dream". And while this reviewer loves piano samples, the drums seem kinda hard fitting, and the sample does repeat too often and too quickly, what takes away the musicality and takes this beat into the 'now actually asking for some rhymes' sphere. "Burial Of The Pharaohs", another short interlude, lives up to it's title, bringing back the Arabic vibe. Only before "Taking It Back (Yesterdays Pt. 2)" returns to another piano sample, that is long enough to be looped, without sounding boring after a while. While the drums again seem kinda ill fitting (the kick sounds too hard and dry), the track switches every now and then, adds vocals and horns, and gives it the feel of riding into the sunlight.

Doing something completely different, a dominant bass, whining soundeffects, a funky guitar and a strangely echoed drum collaborate for "Absurd Concoction". And while all these elements don't seem to go together, they just do that. But Pyramid takes the album back to his melancholy music on "Bittersweet". Being a fitting track for any soundtrack, this again paints mental pictures, and succeeds in being a soundexpression of suffer. Speaking of painting: the title of the next cut is "Another Painted Picture". This hopeful tune builds around an acoustic guitar, that does not prevent the drums to go a little double step at the end of the track. And then it's time for a little Disco. Well, almost, but the happiness of "Wallabee Strut" is another highlight of this album. This vibe then gets abandoned as fast as it conquered the room. "Midnight's Creeping", a track that urgently pushes forward, again accomplishes to create images in our head, so that we see the scene, without even depending on any cinematographer to first shoot it and play it to us. With another interlude leading us up to the last cut, "Long Journey Home" wakes us up calmly from the imagination trip we have enjoyed to experience.

A while a go, a beat needed lyrics to have it's existence validated. Those times have gone now, and while it's still an accomplishment to capture the attention of a listener only with a beat, producers have grown to, as said earlier: compose a beat, rather than just produce it. And if you don't really know what the difference is, then listen to this album.