Junk Science refers to many bands, but the one that matters is the hip hop group from Brooklyn that puts records out with Modern Shark Embedded Music, Def Jux, and Ruffnoxious Records. Beyond all that... Junk Science is Baje One on the mic and DJ Snafu on the beats. Simple. These two young gentlemen met in high school in Brooklyn in the mid-nineties and started making music together on half-days and weekends.
?You can be on stage performing for 20 minutes straight? thousands of words are flying out of your mouth, and still you might not communicate a thing. And then you might stop, and sing a few simple ?la, la, la?s? and all of a sudden you find that the audience is right there with you, and they understand exactly what you mean,? says Baje One.
?This is about conducting experiments in communication. All of this stuff, it?s just a series of experiments. Some are straight to the point, and some are more circum-navigational. Some might succeed and some might fail, but none of them exist in a vacuum. We?ve been waiting a while to put this record out, and now, finally, we?ll get to see the results.?
The experiments to which Baje is referring are the 16 tracks that comprise A Miraculous Kind Of Machine, the 3rd album from critically acclaimed NYC hip hop duo Junk Science. A.M.K.O.M. is Junk Science at their most mature: Despite their best efforts to the contrary, Baje One and producer Snafu seem to have grown up (a little) since the 2007 release of their concept album Gran?dad?s Nerve Tonic (Definitive Jux / Embedded).
As Baje declares over the frenetic, distorted-bass-driven Fire Drill: ?Junk is back with a new sound!? Indeed, A.M.K.O.M. does represent a new musical and philosophical direction for the group as they move further into left field on tracks like ?Sailing? and ?Steel Will?, abandoning the straightforward for the poetic, the clear for the murky. But Snafu?s signature warm, lo-fi soundscapes remain ever-present throughout the album, as do Baje?s measured, thoughtful commentaries. A quick listen to the soft piano, thumping drums, and simple, beautiful message of Really, Man and there?ll be no doubt that this is in fact a Junk Science record.
The synthesis of old and new really hits home on First Snow, where Snafu combines a floating 8-bit-inspired melody with a booming drum kit, giving Baje a space to contemplate what it means to live in his hometown: ?What a strange thing, to be from someplace / Really man, you should try it some time / All my native New Yorkers wanna riot some time / For reasons too numerous to mention here but / I?m at the window, feel like a survivor? And it hits me so hard sometimes I gotta sit down / This town, a lotta kids drown??
The record is due out May 25th, to be self-released on Baje?s new label Modern Shark. ?A lot of people have been asking us about Jux and about Embedded,? says Baje. ?We would have been proud to keep working with both of those labels. But things change. And yeah, we got a few offers from indies, but we have a circle of talented friends who are making great records, so it doesn?t make sense for us to join someone else?s team right now. We?re starting our own team. Modern Shark?
A.M.K.O.M. features guest vocal appearances from Cool Calm Pete (Millins), Tone Tank (Words From The Boro Prez), Cavalier (Steel Will), Scott Thorough (Monty Flython), and Gene Stovall (Miraculous Machines).
Snafu made all the beats, except for No Matter Rap which was co-produced by J. Howells Werthman. Also, Monty Flython was co-produced by J. Howells Werthman and Scott Thorough.
The artwork for the record, which will be available digitally, and on a limited-edition, specially-packaged CD, distributed by FAT BEATS, was created by Alexis Negron.