producers: dj raphiki, spon, jon?doe, click tha supah latin, fader, shu

guests: click tha supah latin, sankofa, shu aka camerapper, kashal tee

helix n (pl helices) a shape like a spiral or a flat coil; an object that has this shape: molecules in the form of a double helix. Says the dictionary. And like good biochemists, Spon, Jon?Doe and DJ Raphiki, grab their micro(scope), and take a look at verbal imaginary, at lyrical structures. They study the shades and fades of pattern giving rhythmic hits and kicks, they take tweezers, and peel off layer after layer, putting down all their findings in the "DNA-Lysis" report. What they discover is a plaited construction of life giving cords. But this does not suggest that their paper reads like a lengthy babbling and rambling over ridiculously unwanted to know little facts. What they put to the public is lifelike and relevant to those that appreciate learning more than what is appearing before their daily eyes. Those that watch the Discovery Channel, because their brain is bored, when the unconsciousness is laughing. Pick up a book. Or pick up "DNA-Lysis".

Things start with an "Intro". The prelude that is happening to be a turntable exhibition by DJ Raphiki. Restricted soundfiles, that hit with short chops, and on this "Slo To Toledo", the two talking cats, make clear, that their thesis are backed up by skills. They are showing their skills, but also talk about them, and in the end, all those that still mock up, are addressed with "you've got a headache, with my name written on it". Unsuspected, from the left side, a wessyde thump creeps up to you on "Fool's Gold". It's the antithesis to tracks that are serious, when they unapologetically promote the dollar signs. This is to be heard by those that can't pay the rent, but drive a Lexus. Those that have no money to buy anything to chew with their gold teeth. But we, the thinking audience, are not susceptible to trickery. Like someone with a shovel, we know that not everything's gold that glitters. That's why we understand the irony in the beat, but we also understand why "Riddle Of The Sphinx" is the first highlight on this album. Talking about the four, two, three legged being, the time this is using to tell us its story, is well enjoyed, also because Spon's production moves slowly, the piano is musical, and the beat is allowed to refocus towards Portishead.

Allowing the different elements to not be restricted to one track, a wind player is moving like a cloud of fog through the repetitious and neglected bass and drum of "Allido", giving this song an eager feel, that Sankofa aka Erehwon Nam uses as a featured artist. "The Power Of Thought" allows itself to not rush, it being almost 8 minutes long. This time is uses a horn to give this a live element, that makes this intelligent concert music, people are too afraid to move to, as it would make it harder for them to understand its meaning. And so the sax female Melissa Underwood, and the turtablism by DJ Raphiki are merging as a jazz thing, merging as a soulful thing, merging as a tale not told by words. What takes us to the next highlight "2 Of The Illest", where Spon and John?Doe hand out shit cookies, like they are brownies, and you asked for them. And right after digesting, we move along "The Fifth Element", where Click personifies it with his beat box routine.

The Spon produced "Some Of All Parts" unfolds traditionally, with the piano playing the guiding light, and the bass hovering in the low areas. This is as much an answering, as it is a questioning song, that allows the imagination to travel through 'some's. What started out gay, resulted in a gray, forceful matter, that is insane enough to drag oneself along, that is full enough, to fill a room with sounds, that is "Parallelograms", another excuse for the one's with the microphone to hit us with lyrical sticks. And as this will cover many synapses, you better make sure, that you still have enough vacant, for them to follow "Titanic", an epic tale of hip hop fairies. The immaculate lyrical content, as well as the superb Click Tha Supah Latin production, that webs in samples from the famous flick of the same title as this song, to create a complete experience, that makes the best out of a clever concept.

After two such climaxes, the arch is pointing down again, and "Lazarus Syndrome" feat. Sankofa and Kashal Tee, takes the braggadocios moment (including the dope "do I brag, maybe / but it's true game, weak emcees are now part of my food chain / and all them commercial rappers, what's wrong with 'em / you're supposed to fuck r'n'b bitches, not do songs with 'em"), and stretches it. And the throughout this album present humor, not only glistens, but blinds us on "Hip Hop: A Love Story". Jackie Chan was unbeatable when he was doing his drunken style of fighting. This will have you beat your belly with laughter, and it will be the most unlikeliest track ever, that you were tempted to learn the lyrics to, so that you could sing a long. What eventually leads us to two bonus goodies on this CD, the first being "Ought'a Graf" by Sankofa. There's a whole lot of energy in this Fader produced track, that sounds like a galactic whup ass. And as a contrast, Shu, a Japanese emcee, who flows in his native language on "247", is a near to the treetops flying dream, with exceptional production.

The Double Helix has shown us the goods of many worlds. We got the punchlines, the humor, the rewind material, the hard to decipher material, the things we never knew, that we would like to hear material. We discovered highlights of huge proportions, and watched the Helix play God, restructuring the molecules of life, and making it something accepted, something appreciated, something deep. Deep as the miracles of complexity. Deep as the regularity of chaos. Deep as the impossibility of simplicity within infinite options. Deep as the content of what is turning in our stereo system. Deep as stumbling from time to time, while this only helps to walk more comfortable, and making even better samples of protein cords in the future.