by S. Victor Aaron
A side project of hip-hop artist Madlib, the music is pretty much what the ensemble’s name advertises. It’s loose, trippy and stretched out. There isn’t a whole lot of standout improvisation going on, because this is more of a groovy vibe based affair. But as far as groovy vibes go, it does those things rather well. The meshing of disparate instruments such as sitar, harp and vibes gives it a psychedelica sound without resorting to electronic trickery. Instead, it’s organic and warm. The songs each pay tribute to a different musical inspiration, although one of them, Roy Ayers, comes to mind on nearly every track (probably because anytime the vibraphone is used in funky-jazzy music, I think of Roy Ayers). This is more like what I expected ALO to sound like, put I was pleasantly surprised how either of these records turned out.
- The Time Boston’s Picky Tom Scholz Got It Right the First Time - September 30, 2026
- JabFung, “Respite Piano Smash” from ‘In Real Life’ (2026): Video premiere - May 29, 2026
- Skerik, “Air Garden” from ‘SKERIK 0610725’: Something Else! sneak peek - March 11, 2026
