Space Beyond the Solar System

Longtime collaborators Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemunk were enormously productive in 2018 and 2019, constantly working on music with guest artists such as bassist Luke Stewart, guitarist Patrick Fritz, and Raw Poetics uncle, legendary saxophonist Archie Shepp. The improvised collaboration Ocean Bridges (with Shepp credited first) was released to much acclaim in 2020, and several other genre-transcending Raw Poetic/Damu releases have followed since. The first of two albums to appear in 2022, Laminated Skies, was a motivated fusion of conscious rap and indie rock, propelled by melodic vocals and versatile drumming. Space Beyond the Solar System (with just Raw Poetics name on the cover but with much input by Damu) was digitally issued near the end of the year, and its a much more expansive effort, pushing past two hours in length and exploring more-cosmic subject matter. While this might seem overwhelming, it actually manages to feel more focused and confident than Laminated Skies, with less scattered, more cohesive production. The semi-orchestral, chant-driven "Young Poet Be Free" heralds the start of this limitless journey, then "Houdinis Spell" is an atmospheric torrent of insightful rhymes and direct, heavy beats. Sequenced as one long, seamless ride, the album continues with skillful lyrics about resistance and reflection, primarily set to booming breakbeats in addition to lush, fluid live drumming. "A Mile in My Head," one of three tracks featuring Shepp, starts out as a breathless account of daily life in the nations capital before eventually dissolving into a weightless, harp-accompanied sax solo by the jazz great. The "Young Poet Be Free" theme is revisited twice during the increasingly psychedelic albums second half, which includes its longest, headiest tracks. Autobiographical lyrics are immersed in starshine during "The Life in It," and plucked strings, slowed-down house beats, and Fat Boys-style beatboxing all drift through the mix during "21st Century Moses" without sounding like forced juxtapositions. The album concludes with "Antidote Island," a 23-minute suite with nearly enough ideas for a stand-alone album, yet it feels absolutely necessary placed as the climactic finale of an all-encompassing odyssey. ~ Paul Simpson