Satellite Flight: The Journey To Mother Moon
Cudi fans know, it's fire.
Yeah, Kid Cudi, otherwise known as the other half of WZRD, has released yet another ground-breaking album. The fourth studio-album by Cudi dropped on Feb. 25, 2014. This album was primarily produced by himself like Indicud was. Satellite Flight is to be the bridge between Indicud and Man On The Moon III (2015).
Kid Cudi took to social devices such as Twitter and Soundcloud to get his fans geared up for the release. Through releases such as Going to The Ceremony and Satellite Flight, Cudi prepared listeners for a sound he states: " [will] reclaim my style others have been trying to duplicate for the past 5 years,". Cudi even goes so far to urge listeners to start from Man On The Moon I and play everything through (including WZRD) to Satellite Flight to prepare for MOTM III.
Well gee-this guy is really creating something,
Flow
Interestingly enough, Kid Cudi doesn't utilize vocals on all songs on the album. The tracks that are graced with his verses are are sang in his usual processed way. Objectively speaking, Cudi half sings and half speaks his parts o songs such as Satellite Flight and Balmain Jeans. These moans are passion filled and hard hitting, but at first listen: hard to understand. I believe this is purposeful because on any part that is murky, the alliteration in Cudi's flow is heard. I would even venture that Cudi, unlike most rappers, doesn't see his vocals as separate from the beat, but a part of whole thing.
What are you saying Tics?
I'm saying yeah- it is difficult to decipher some of what Kid Cudi is saying, especially if you are new to what he is building. However, in no way does that facet hurt any songs- all tracks with vocals are solid.
Content
Any Cudi fan knows that the entire MOTM series is one of the most interesting stories told- being that this album is a piece of that series, it is no different. On first listen through there is sure to be a song that jumps out at a listener as relevant. One of the most likable things about Cudi is his ability to be relatable. He does "Drake" better than Drake.
You mean that Kid Cudi is efficient in reaching out to his listeners and fans,
Yes. As an example I'll use the track Balmain Jeans ft. Raphael Saadiq. This song was rich in sexual innuendoes as well as spiritual intonations. This wasn't the average song about getting in someone's pants- it was the tale of finding one's other half. The perfect balance is struck between heavy and light where Cudi expresses his inner desires for another person but pokes fun at his frequent wearing of the designer Balmain.
Cudi utilizes his composing skills to also effectively convey his meaning without words. I almost never sign off on self-production. I love producers too much, but on tracks such as Copernicus Landing and the aforementioned Balmain Jeans- it is blatantly obvious that Kid Cuid is multifaceted. The deep bass and borealis/wavy sounds create a contrast and in most songs the backdrop. In everyone of us there is an internal struggle; maybe I'm reaching but as judged by Cudi's cult following of fans, his beats are speaking to our souls, man.
Groovy vibes.
Production
The whole album was signed off by Kid Cudi himself. 7 of 10 tracks he produced and the other 3 he did as well, collaborating with Dot da Genius. Yeah thats right, WZRD was back at it on this album. The deep rich sounds from Indicud, the creativity of WZRD, and the spacey vibes from MOTM are all heard on this short album. All the guitar riffs, strategically placed bass, and synths are back. Again, it was originally slated to be an EP, but Cudi explains he "hit such a creative stride when he began to work on the EP, that he decided to just complete a full album instead,"
This album is only 10 tracks???
This album is about 41 minutes with 10 tracks. While short for an album, this album's viability places at about an hour. Let me explain: on first play through I didn't finish without replaying a song. Its fair to say I wasn't casually listening, but if casually listening to Cudi, it's easy to get spaced out and lose time frame. That is a fair statement: this album utilizes a stereo soundscape like no other. One ear is still in space and the other ear is on the moon already. I tested this by listening to a song with just on earbud in then the other.... crazy.
Also, while I do not condone/associate/advocate stoner culture, I've been told by close sources that this album played to a listener under the influence is really something.
Conclusion
With only one feature from Raphael Saadiq (my ninja!). And minimal production help, Kid Cudi once again proves he's got it all. This album gets 5 stars, two thumbs up, and some tears. As a test to my credibility, I played half the album for a non-Cudi fan. As unbiased as I strive to be, I love the fudge out of some Cudi. My close source did indeed like the album giving it a 4/5. She claims it could've been better if Cudi had chosen to go all beats or all songs w/ vocals. She thought the fusion of the two types of songs on one album was too weird. Nonetheless, Satellite Flight: Journey To Mother Moon is all good vibes.
No comments:
Post a Comment