rawhead

Glens Falls-based Sub-Bombin Records has announced the release of Rawhead’s third full-length album and his first to be pressed to wax. Psychopomp finds the ambient hip-hop producer expanding his sonic oeuvre outward in every dimension of the space-time continuum and the aural eardrum experience is, shall we say, fresh.

The usual influences continue to permeate Rawhead’s sound, from the now canonized Detroit school of beat making via James Yancey aka J Dilla to the producer’s longstanding passion for low end dub luminaries King Tubby and Lee Perry. It’s all here, only more exquisitely refined than we’ve heard on the Beatwise & Alchemy albums. And just as Rawhead settles into his groove on the opening title track, he cranks the knobs distorting the cerebral inputs of the listener, and we now know what’s been in his headphones – the wunderkind producer sent from outer space by way of Los Angeles, Flying Lotus.

Psychopomp is the sound of a producer finding his voice through subtraction and distillation – Rawhead has stripped away the samples of old and recurring time signatures driving the backbeat and crafted his sound on stage as if it was his studio during some of the sickest live sets ever put on by Sub-Bombin. Innovative experimentation live with drums and looping has manifested in a veteran producer with a newfound command of negative space and astral tension permeating his fingertips. Prepare to be in on a little hometown secret before it goes viral – Rawhead is for real.

Psychopomp is available in its entirety on 12” vinyl through Glens Falls’s own Sub-Bombin Records or for the digi-philes out there, Side A of the album can be purchased along with 2 bonus tracks in a multitude of formats from Rawhead’s Bandcamp. - Lake George Mirror Magazine

Rawhead

Psychopomp

The lifespan of Psychopomp, the 10-track debut vinyl release from Sub-Bombin Records instrumental beat-maker Rawhead, is one that lacks an expiration date. It continues to remain fresh ever since its July release.

The album itself is a rather quick listen, but that’s what gives it part of its charm, making it easy to vibe out to on repeat. The familiarity of the rhythms upon a second or third listen help the listener notice new details in the production, such as on the multidimensional “Soliloquy.” Another interesting detail is in the play on words in track titles: “Obtuse” is the shortest track and “Pause/Still” features playful, rhythmic diversity.

Strictly instrumental production doesn’t confine Rawhead to any one style, and he is able to occupy a variety of spaces and emotions, while still remaining creatively aware in his experimentation. The sounds adapt to many rooms and audiences, appealing to both hip-hop and electronic-based mindsets.

Following the 28-track release Beatwise & Alchemy back in 2008 and the 23-track release of its “leftovers” in 2010, Psychopomp is tightly compacted, and appropriately so, for this record is the beatsmith’s foray into a vinyl-exclusive release. An accompanying digital download exists solely as a courtesy, keeping the intended focus on the atmospheric feel of the record. “Side B” is also exclusively available on vinyl. The limited nature of the release is exciting, as it creates a contrast between the record’s physical limits and the boundless space that Rawhead’s thought-provoking yet subtle constructions digitally explore.

–KC Orcutt - Metroland

The ultra-talented, genre-melding, ambient producer Rawhead has about as much internet presence as my octogenarian grandmother. Rawhead’s latest release Psychopomp is only partially available online, you have to contact him via Bandcamp to order a vinyl copy that has both side A and side B. Now, I’m no vinyl snob, but even I know that proves Rawhead’s confidence in the quality of his music. I’ve included most of side A in this post, but hope you’ll visit Sub-Bombin records to check out the rest of his releases. He stands up to heavy-weight-label-mates like Phantogram with ease. - Ear Milk