Product Vol.3

Trumystic Sound System is more of a cooperative than a band. It consists of Soothsayer (rapper), Dr. Israel (reggae singer, toaster, and junglist), Divaship (singer) and the DJs Mutamassik, O.H.M., and Ish. On Product 3, the six artists alternate tracks, delivering a varied but consistently funky program of beat-derived music. Mutamassik's two tracks are the most exotic -- "Babomb" combines what sounds like an Egyptian orchestra with turntable scratching, whereas "Raks Sharqi Scratch Mix" draws more heavily on hip-hop turntable work while leavening the mix with North African double-reed instruments. Divaship's two contributions, "In Theory" and "Down Together," are both excellent examples of the emerging drum'n'bass-with-vocals approach -- imagine Terra Deva, only harder. Soothsayer delivers two fine but not especially remarkable pieces of downtempo Brooklyn hip-hop, but Dr. Israel's "Life in the Ghetto," "Junglist," and "Jacob's Ladder" are all superb examples of his special brand of dub-inflected jungle. Ish contributes "Division" and "Me Ongo Te'," neither of which is anything to write home about, though "Division" boasts some fine cut-and-paste work. "Born Naked" and "Click Click" are both dark and intense midtempo grooves from O.H.M. Overall, this is a rich and rewarding collection of tracks from a very talented group of artists. ~ Rick Anderson|