Dr Octagon "Dr Octagonecologyst" (1996)
Originally a founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith started
working on solo material. He completed a couple of tracks with
collaborator Kutmasta Kurt which they sent out to radio stations and
local DJs. The tracks got into the hands of producer Dan 'the
Automator' Nakamura who came on board and recorded the album with the
two KKs in his home studio in his parents' basement.
It's a concept album featuring (particularly for a rap album) surreal
lyrics about Kool Keith's alter-ego, a time-travelling gynaecologist Dr
Octagon. Though Keith would go on to downplay the input of Kurt and
the Automator on the sound of the album, Nakamura is a sorely
underappreciated producer. From his own projects such as Handsome Boy
Modelling School, Lovage and Got a Girl, to his production work for
bands like Kasabian and Head Automatica, to his collaborative work such
as Peeping Tom, the first Gorillaz album and several projects with Del
tha Funky Homosapien.
The music here is inventively produced, loaded with film samples, and
cinematic production, mixing strings, sci-fi/horror cues and interesting
beats.
I'd say that as a fan of the Automator I wanted to like it more than I did. I enjoyed the music
and didn't actively dislike Keith's rhymes but for some reason the whole
thing didn't really 'capture' me.
