Shabazz Palaces, the avant-hip-hop project of Ishmael Butler has taken a deeper turn into sculpting a world of Shabazz sound on new album Lese Majesty but not at the expense of engagement with the listener.
Lese Majesty keeps moving, keeps searching by creating mellow musical vistas that seep into each other through synthesizers, sparse beats and eerie psychedelic conjurings. It’s a trip and one that feels like a document.
It’s Butler’s voice and the sound of his words (along with Tendai Maraire) that gives the sprawling 18-track seven suite 45 minute record its human focus. He’s the space and time travelling otherworldly guide into this ambient and experimentally-leaning album. “All of our stories told in codes,” they say and while Lese Majesty is impenetrable in meaning, it’s revealing in experience.
The album is out this Friday on Subpop.
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, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
