*Disclaimer: No Bothans were killed while making these awful puns*
A herd of majestic bison stampeding through my office could not stop me writing a review of this album. An intense burning laser focused straight on where I sit as I type could not stop me writing a review of this album. The collapse of society as we know it into deranged cannibalism and show tunes could not stop me from reviewing this album. The only thing that could stop me writing a review of this album is the realisation that discussing it makes it sound stupid as hell.
Which it is not. Swearsies.
There are, of course, already some reviews of this album out there. Most focus on the fact that this LP is mixed and produced by Rick Rubins of Def Jam Records fame. You have him to thank for working with Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy’s album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and later, Chili’s Blood, Sex and Magic. Rick Rubins has been out of the spotlight for a while and in a sense this album distributed by the Galactic Empire Disney is a return to what he does best which is produce good non-mainstream albums which take a gamble. But let us not talk about Mr. Rubins because others have done so, much better than this reviewer can. Other people have also discussed John Williams’ original score with his nods to classical romanticism such as Strauss, Stravinksy and Holst, his use of classical modernist ambiance in later films as well as his game-changing use of Wagernian leitmotifs which influenced a whole generation of film music composers.
Let’s just talk about this millennial falcon. Star Wars Headspace is a concept album which doesn’t link to Star Wars canon (i.e the non-diegetic music you’ll hear in the films) but uses the sound effects, dialogue and to a much lesser extent John William’s ‘canon’ music to create an album with an eclectic group of EDM styles such as Trap, Drum and Bass, Crunk, House, etc. The album uses three main axioms to guarantee that’s its audience will come back, and in greater numbers: 1) Star Wars is cool 2) nostalgia is cool and 3) EDM sounds with a game/cosmic like soundscape are currently very popular. There are distinct high points, in my opinion, but a lack of direction which makes an impossibly cool concept in potentia, a generally middling to fun album in practice. Only the Sith deal in absolutes… but some of it isn’t great. The effects mostly come from A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi which can only be a good thing. However, the appeal of the EDM genre to hardcore Star Wars fans may be looking in Alderaan places.
Let’s assume we want all want to listen, so sit back with Admiral Trapbar, play the album, realise your conscious mind and let the beats flow through you:
The first track C3PO’s Plight is an endearing remix of C3PO being a bit of a dick, as is his wont. GTA’s Help Me which remixes the pivotal scene in A New Hope where Princess Leia pleads with Obi ‘Drop the bass’ Kenobi for help is a track you can really Bobba your head to, a possible contender for the public’s favourite. Things really jump into hyperspace with trap and experimental hip hop artist Troyboi’s song Force in one of Troyboi’s best-paced tracks this side of Spotify. What seems to be the highlight of the album at first is Baauer’s (of Harlem Shake fame) remix of the Cantina song in which he does what he does best with ambient bassline Darth Vader breathing and a lot of horns but this might simply be due to the fact that trap can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. R2 Knows is an attempt at techno whimsy (which should be left in the sole possession of Todd Terje) in which auto-tuned voices rap about R2-D2 ‘knowing things’(?). It reminded me of LMFAO, in a really bad way. You will never find a more wretched song of scum and villainy.
Some are travelling to distant corners of the galaxy, specifically Royksopp’s Bounty Hunters, who take the most consistent sound clip from the films and create something grungy with a tempo as fascinatingly rough as Palpatine’s face. Rick Rubin’s re-work of Shag Kava’s Jabba Flow which mainly has the word ‘Jabba’ constantly repeated is as bizarre as that black floating head ball thing carrying a syringe which threatens Princess Leia in A New Hope:
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One of the most natural connections on the album is Flying Lotuses’ contribution R2 Where R U? Flying Lotus, part experimental hip-hop artist and part mystical trap DJ (well known for the beautiful tune Never Catch Me Now featuring Kendrick Lamar) goes on a cosmological trip into digital space layering R2D2’s beeps into a birdsong rhythm which is deceptively charming if a slightly awkward flow. The main song for anyone who doesn’t like electronica but still wants to give this album a go is Breakbot’s Startripper mix of John William’s style orchestral and really chilled 80’s synth funk. I suppose the main problem the album faces as a concept is that it obviously doesn’t know who its father is. Many of the artists (some of which are mainstream popular and some very new on scene) have completely different styles but reuse the same sounds again and again with very different atmospheres as if there was little to no collaborative process. Some are simply fun and others are verging on minimalist and thoughtful such as Bonobo’s Ghomrassen and ATLASS’ Sunset Over Manann. If you are looking for only solid dance hits than these are not the tracks you’re looking for. But what I really need to talk about is EWOK PUMPP.
EWOK fucking PUMPP. Christmas No.1 for the rest of human history. Soon to be the National anthem. The song of the 21st century. The ridiculous name alone got me excited when I first downloaded this album. Even if you absolutely loathe EDM in all its forms (hey you still read this far into the review?) you need to listen to EWOK PUMPP. Like Evil Dead 2, it tips so far into awful it appears on the other side as something almost sublime. It is obnoxious. It is arrogant. It is amazing. Seriously. Just go listen to it now. Do it.
Long live the Galactic Empire Disney. Long live Star Wars selling out. Long live experimental, hip hop cosmic trap. Long live EWOK PUMPP.
I give this album 5/7 deathstars.
Dead pen's curious corner 