Yesterday's Universe

YESTERDAY'S NEW QUINTETYESTERDAY'S UNIVERSE Is Yesterday's Universe the new album by a jazz band of the same name, or is it maybe a compilation featuring artists such as Jackson Conti, Monk Hughes, Sound Directions, the Otis Jackson Jr. Trio and so on? Factually speaking, it's both neither and all of the above; but really, it's the latest jazz record from Yesterday's New Quintet, which is actually just a moniker for one of today's best producers, Otis "Madlib" Jackson, Jr. and a couple of his drummer friends, Karriem Riggins and Mamao Azymuth. Confused? Also the man behind such projects as The Lootpack, Quasimoto, Madvillain, Jaylib and various other sound ventures, Madlib has established himself as the most prolific musicians of the current decade, producing over 25 full-length releases spanning many genres, including both traditional and experimental hip-hop, jazz, bop, soul, reggae and funk. With Yesterday's Universe, which is more or less his fifth YNQ record, Madlib has created his fifth hands-down essential album, though it’s not quite the classic that his Madvillainy was. Framed by deep grooves, fusion-friendly drumming and accessible melodies draped through dusty, retro production, YNQ's latest album seamlessly pays tribute to various subgenres within the jazz genre. There’s slight bop, loads of fusion, dashes of acid and a whole lot of break beats, just like YNQ’s debut, but this time around, Madlib seems to really know what he’s doing.

While previous YNQ albums have seemed to be aimed clearly at either the boom-bap hip-hop throng or the plugged-in jazz fusion crowd, Yesterday's Universe should easily please both sets, especially record heads with an appreciation for dusty grooves, thick production and Billy Cobham (or Billy Martin, for that matter) inspired drum beats. While most audiophiles in this modern age of “everything now” likely find themselves half asleep before most pure jazz records hit their third movement, Yesterday’s Universe is both authentic and accessible, and therein lives the brilliance of the record. It’s real, fake, old, new, fat, lean, happy and dangerous. Mostly, it’s another quick whiff of Madlib’s mad genius.

Simply put, Yesterday's Universe is a sophisticated jazz riff for a world of hurried audiophiles raised on hip-hop ethos. That, and it's one of the best albums of the year, hip-hop, jazz or otherwise. All hail Madlib. Or Otis Jackson, Jr. Or Quasimoto. Or Monk Hughes.   8/10

Written by G. William Locke