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SPECTRE
WSCD045
With his first trilogy completed (The Illness/The Second Coming/The End), Spectre, The Ill Saint retired to the Temple of Smoke to further his explorations into the realm of low frequency manipulation. Unseen, but heard throughout the Crooked Soundtrack and Original Score, he also dropped the full-length Parts Unknown, a collection of unreleased material from the vaults, for Belgium's Quatermass label.
The real focus of his activity since the millenium, however, has been Psychic Wars (WSCD045), a watershed event in the annals of Illness. Unlike previous outings, Spectre created over 50 tracks, the best of which were distilled into this taut, 13-track banger. All killer, no filler, Psychic Wars will take you on a journey of epic proportions. And if you don't believe the hype, just press play.
The mayhem begins on "Eye Against Eye," where man meets himself...a conflict as old as creation itself. Spectre delivers his opening sermon on "The Struggle Continues," but enlists the aid of Honeychild on the sticky dub-hop of "Secrets," and Malik Yusef on "Dark Matter," a brooding hed-nodda. Of course, the inimitable Sensational gets down with the sound on the kinetic "Blazed" and "Hocus Pocus," where he is joined by Bed-Sty's own Black Chameleon in a tag team of lyrical terror. For the majority of the proceedings, however, Spectre helms the ship with pure instrumental madness displaying a musicality and upbeatness not found in any of his previous releases. While mainstream rap has just discovered Indian music, Spectre freaks a Bollywood soundtrack to spine-tingling effect on "Love." On "Treacherous" and "The Rolling Force" his frenetic breaks veer on the edge of Drum N' Bass, evoking darkness and dread on the dance floor. Meanwhile, tracks like "The Fire Within" and "Remembrance" defy all category.
Psychic Wars is a glimpse into the future, now. The Next Level. Jay Z may have had the Blueprints, but Psychic Wars Is the Matrix. ....And the struggle continues.