Already blessing his fans with albums like Stevie and Angles Without Edges, the original one man band man has created a fan base for those who love where today’s music came from. Some people dig it, some don’t. Madlib could care less though and delivers yet another piece of instrumental work with Yesterday’s Universe, dubbed “the last YNQ album”.

   On this outing, Madlib borrows and reinterprets some of music’s greatest musicians. From Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew” to Bebeto’s “Barumba”, Madlib cleverly careens his way through history as he does his best to give today’s children a taste of what music used to be. Every element brings you to a smoky, dim lit, lounge on some dusty corner where all the poor musicians gather to experiment with different styles and instruments. Whether it be “Umoja” and its nostaligic horns or the diehard funk demonstration “Street Talkin”, Madlib delivers an album that many may not be ready for but those who just dig music can see where he’s coming from.

   Yesterday’s Universe is Madlib doing Madlib.  With its retro jazz vibes and ultra smooth tempo, it may just be enough to subdue even the most hardcore Madlib fan. Some may not like YNQ and probably never will. But by now YNQ has YNQ fans so this shouldn’t be anyone’s introduction to Madlib’s alternate universe. Take it for what it’s worth, a jazzy homage to some of the greats set in the new millennium. It’s just good ass music!

    Madlib, the mad hip-hop genius from Oxnard, California shares a musical sense with Irvine. They both have a sound that combines familiar, honest grooves with an otherworldly drive and desire. And, more simply, they both see clear connections between jazz and hip-hop. Madlib got his start by producing for Tha Alkaholiks and then moved on to create albums with the Lootpack and on his own. He debuted his jazz side project, Yesterday’s New Quintet in 2001 with a pair of EPs and the full-length album Angles Without Edges, which was a blunted but very well-composed revision of the meaning of jazz. Under the YNQ moniker, Stones Throw records has now released Madlib’s tribute to Weldon Irvine, and given Lib’s ravenous following, it is sure to be a success.

    However it’s important to note that Madlib didn’t create A Tribute To Brother Weldon for public consumption. It, like the recent Stevie project, was made by Madlib, for Madlib and a small group of privileged listeners. But it doesn’t really hurt anybody to release these albums, and many more people can enjoy them this way. But the thing with Brother Weldon is that you can tell that you weren’t meant to hear it.

    From start to finish, Brother Weldon is an extremely intense record. Its brooding experiments make it a challenging listen to those expecting to hear clear melodies or consistent grooves, and unfortunately, its breakneck pacing doesn’t make it the most rewarding project Madlib has released. It starts with the nine-minute-long “Prelude/Run With The Sun,” which offers the listener no time to get acquainted with the record; you just have to dive in. It is a free-flowing collection of drum-based sketches, and it’s tough to really grab onto anything. Like much of the album, the amelodic nature of the track makes it hard to grab a hold of, and Madlib’s constant tempo shifts make the tension palpable.

     Some of the numbers are less free, such as “Time,” which is a dense 3/4 groove that most certainly flies. “Still Young, Gifted & Broke” takes its title from Irvine’s first venture into musical theater, and it begins with a easy going riff that would be at home on Angles Without Edges, and slowly, but efficiently, builds into a maddening climax. Other tracks are more demanding of the listener. “The Beginning, The Middle & The End,” nearly seventeen minutes in length, is perhaps the most self-indulgent piece of music Madlib has ever released (though it’s hard to fault him for being self-indulgent on a record that was made for himself). Though the motif of the song is constantly changes, it always feels like it’s building towards something that never materializes. There is really no reason to listen to it more than once, and even that might be too much.

     Given the amount of music Madlib puts out, it would be wrong to say that Brother Weldon is a misstep. It most certainly is an interesting record, but it lacks focus in any musical sense of the word. You can feel the passion behind Madlib’s playing, but an album with almost no melody and very little in the way of composition can only have so much replay value. It is truly great that in today’s hip-hop culture, where “originality” is a quality that only applies to those who are already famous, Madlib chooses to experiment constantly. But not every experiment can yield a Quasimoto or a Madvillain. A Tribute To Brother Weldon is more of a curiosity than anything else, and by the end of the year it is sure to be obscured by other Madlib projects.

     One can attest that instrumentals may suck the soul out of songs like “Rocket Love” or “That Girl”. One can also attest that Madlib…ahem…Joe Mcduphrey key playing just doesn’t cut the mustard. But after multiple listens, the concept of what Madlib is attempting to accomplish begins to take form. The rawness of “Superstition” somehow manages to capture the essence of Stevie Wonder’s past work of art. It’s not to be taken as a recreation of his work, but more as a payment of homage courtesy of hip-hop’s prince of production.  Songs such as “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” may not send purists into a state of shock, but the listener has got to admit that inhaling the essence may be the next best thing. Tapping into the elusive aura of an artist is not an easy feat but YNQ does create an atmosphere in which even the die-hard purist has to nod his head in approval for the attempt. “Send One Your Love” is so raw at first glance it doesn’t seem to do Stevie justice. As the sounds travel back and forth between your speakers, it becomes a quite reflective work. This becomes the case for the whole thirty-eight minutes of this experiment. At first it just doesn’t sound quite right, but just as that thought crosses your mind, it dawns on you, this does work.

     Say what you want about Madlib’s ability to play the Honhner Clavinet (the percussion keyboard on
“Superstition”), but at the end of the day nobody could have even thought of pulling this off. Stevie may
not be a flawless piece of work but it does maintain the spirit of a genius. Yeah…it’s not Stevie Wonder, but is it supposed to be? Could you possibly imagine Stevie climbing into your speakers to give you exactly what you want from him? At this time it would be impossible for even Stevie to give you those masterpieces in its paramount. So the next best thing is Madlib, and at this point who else could do it better? So kick up those heavy feet, relax, and soak up all that Yesterday’s New Quintet has to offer.?

Solid work with The Pack (“Whenimondamic”, “Likwit Fusion”) and constant in house production for crew Kazi, Medaphoar , Declaime , etc. have kept Mad on a sturdy platform with your average head, while the enigmatic and relatively intriguing alter-ego Quasimoto (“Come On Feet” et al) jutted him into popular regard as a seemed messiah of sorts behind the board. Which leads to the question (theoretically of course), had it been Various Blendz’ Friz B. or onetime ST affiliate Zest Da Smoker or even Architect for that matter, would responses be the same? Would they be able to churn out beats as rampantly as Madlib? To hold down a group, in-house production duties, remixes to boot, alternative solo endeavors, and now a quasi-Jazz album of original pieces? Has Madlib set a new precedent for innovation or is he merely the object and result of persistence and consistent releases since signing the dotted line? Genius or just a regular producer with a label-push as stalwart as blow from Thor? It’s all relative I suppose, regardless, Yesterday’s New Quintet is without question a pretty good album.

While there are definite moments; seeping through with flutes or keys, change-ups in the drums or a sublime riding of vibes, I wouldn’t call this a Jazz album. Elements of free-Jazz permeate, the engulfing “Julani” grasp emotion with impressive drum-programming and subtle key strokes; “Papa” flirts with Handcock-esque rhythms while “Little Girl” rolls sympathetically and warmly. Madlib creates interesting and impressive textures throughout that ride the railing of down-tempo like house to almost straight hip-hop beats. Tracks like “Uno Esta” and “Mestizo Eyes” (what’s da deal with the titles?) simmer similarly but lump with a bump that feels like an emcee is almost needing to be riding the beat. Arguably some of Angles Without Edges most blissful selections are “Paladium” and “Life’s Angles” (playing back-to-back), here Madlib feels most uncompromised; he’s hip-hop, jazz, free-formed lounge music all comfortably wrapped in one.

This is an innocent release, subdued and relaxing to listen to (ruggedly tranquil if you will). Madlib pulls it off, but undoubtedly he’s not the only one capable of making live-sounding programmed beats (Shawn J. Period , DJ Spinna & Thes One of People Under The Stairs among others have more than dabbled in similar fashion with all interestingly-individual outcomes). Wavering at times, his drums in spots prove almost too hip-hop for their own good. As a result lending this 19-tracker to soundscapes of the lounge/down-tempo fare, which in the end isn’t bad at all. Perhaps the full-scope of this release won’t be realized until after years of more Madlib works. He’s a young producer both in age and musical stylings that will surely go down in history for unfaltering effort, both in and outside the tangible hip-hop realm. Whether timelessness is his forte is debatable, YNQ unquestionably works in his favor though. This album has moments of beauty, a few flashes of banality and most of all the tastemaking combination ‘Lib and Stones Throw have crafted very calculatingly together. It’s an ‘invazion’, painless if not enjoyable, but an ‘invazion’ nonetheless.