Deltron 3030

In much the same way that The Instrumentalyst was Dr. Octagon's Dr. Octagonecologyst album stripped of its weird, paranoid rap vocals, Tron 3030: The Instrumentals is the instrumental sibling of Deltron 3030's self-titled album. In both cases, with Dr. Octagon and with Deltron 3030, the music comes from the mind and mixing desk of genius producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura. The trade-off of turntablist DJ Q-Bert for Kid Koala doesn't seem to make much of a difference, as Nakamura's music is as epic, creepy, and outright blessed as ever. Where Instrumentalyst excised Kool Keith, The Instrumentals loses the vocal work of Sean Lennon, Damon Albarn, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Money Mark, and other indie stars of the rock and hip-hop genres. But there's no indication here that any pulse or life was taken from the 12 tracks. Instead, the album comes across like a zany, cut-and-paste film score. Trumpets twist and morph into otherworldly sound elements, vintage piano notes mingle with Kid Koala's warped scratches, and snippets of vocals from Del tha Funkee Homosapien and various other Deltron 3030 cohorts appear just frequently enough to make one salivate at the thought of the cousin album. There's no denying that The Instrumentals is a moody album, but its mood is always engaging and frequently quite touching. The sampled vocals that repeat as if stuck on a skipping loop on "Madness," "I'm caught in the grips of this city madness," are somehow hopelessly romantic. It's astonishing that the album works on so many levels; it's a comedy hip-hop album similar to Nakamura's Handsome Boy Modeling School project, a collection of lush, jazzy soundscapes, an instrumental cousin to an indie all-star album, and a series of songs that would make for an incredible film score. Like every project Dan Nakamura has been associated with, Deltron 3030 makes for immensely entertaining listening, and Tron 3030: The Instrumentals is simply another amazing addition to Nakamura's already stellar accomplishments. It's every bit as essential as Deltron 3030, if not more so. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide