Prefuse 73

After releasing what always seems to be one of the best records of the year, Scott Heren likes to bring a condensed jewel of leftovers as a tasty after-dinner mint to the table. But this post-album effort isn’t just a series of unused beats that didn’t make the cut and instead just mashed together. It’s a much more planned and fully-arranged collaboration with the electro-indie camp of the Books, who appeared on Surrounded By Silence’s "Pagina Dos.” Though apparently they were never in the same room together, Herren and the Books continue with the "Pagina” series through the magic of electronic communication, and from "Uno” to "Ocho” the partnership of stuttering beats and banjos is quite beautiful. There’s a very live and organic feel to Prefuse’s production as he takes various strings, clavinet and even pots and pans to make a soft landscape of stunning beats. Though barely 20-minutes long, every moment of this EP works, with a grand finale of Claudia Maria Deheza’s beautiful voice sending you home with a huge smile on "Pagina Ocho.” If you dig the sensitive side of Prefuse’s work, which is usually some of his most genius attempts, then this EP is essential.