Can you judge a grandmother’s love by giving it 2.5 mics?
“You can’t judge me on this because it’s a reflection of my heart and soul. It’s like judging a grandmother’s love. Can you judge a grandmother’s love by giving it 2.5 mics, or saying that it only sold a million?”–Kanye West, directly after the first unveiling of Heartbreak & 808s
Master Jeff Weiss was at the listening party for Kanye’s new album along with 40 naked models.
As for the production aesthetic, think about an El-P I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead-type blur of sound and darkness: a Goliath stomp of stadium-sized, marrow-disintegrating noise. But rather than use 9 Inch Nails/Bomb Squad as the starting point, it’s rooted in Michael Jackson, Prince, Cameo, Morris Day, a little KLF/Utah Saints hip-hop house-type stuff and maybe even TV on the Radio’s sense of space and harmony. And yes, a lot more singing than rapping.
Hey, before you go...
Nialler9 has been covering new music, new artists and gigs for the last 19 years. If you like the article you just read, and want us to publish more just like it, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
What you get as thanks in return...
- A weekly Spotify playlist only for patrons.
- Access to our private Nialler9 Discord community.
- Ad-free and bonus podcast episodes.
- Guestlist & discounts to Nialler9 & Lumo Club events.
- Themed playlists only for subscribers.
Your support enables us to continue to publish articles like this one, make podcasts and provide recommendations and news to our readers, and be a key part of the music community in Ireland and abroad.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.