Go Dreamer dropped the second installment of his Animals vs. Machines trilogy last week. And it's called Animals vs. Machines 2 Side: (A)nimals.
Convoluted title aside, this free 11-song LP is some straight-up sophistifunk from the most underrated producer and peculiarity to emerge from Atlanta's otherground. Formerly known as one of the creative forces behind Hollyweerd, the self-branded "weerdo" reminds listeners why he's such a musical curiosity — especially when he dares to choose his own humorously off-key, airy ’80s vocals over the emotionless pitch-correction of Auto-Tune on "With You," "Match My Style" feat. Spree Wilson, "Lil Hollween/B.O.T.N. Part 2," and "Reality or Make-Believe" feat. Rome Fortune.
But beneath that oddball delivery lies a producer with a sixth sense for crafting slow, succulent grooves ("Hold it Down") and pop-inflected indie dance incarnations ("Shaking Not Stirred"). He's a crude romantic with a freak-a-zoid sense of humor, but remove Go Dreamer's off-kilter mask and you'll find a refined musician with an almost-mainstream appeal.
Not that the weerdo tag isn't warranted. It's just that Go Dreamer tends to limit his left-field leanings to his conceptual approach. Take "Blade of the Night Part 1," a scary-movie prequel with a haunting synth bass line and synthetic drum kicks over which he sets out to seduce his prey ("Friday the 13th/Dreamer goes lurking") with his metaphorical blade: "Curiosity killed the pussy but the pussy got nine lives," he raps, "and come to find she was a vampire with them fangs between her thighs." It's appropriately tongue-in-cheeky. The track ends with a pre-recorded chop-up of conversational foreplay as his suitor for the evening auditions her orgasmic moans for him. Even with a porny echo effect added, it manages to avoid the raunchy juvenilia of rap's stereotypical sex interludes for something more hypnotic.
Then there's the hilarious, if not hella misogynistic, hoe-slayers' bass anthem inspired by — get this — "Dragon Ball Z" cartoon character Goku's raging transformations ("Supa Sayin" feat. Grip Plyaz). Indeed, it's a different type of come-hither club jam from an altogether different type of Atlanta player. But if Go Dreamer's artful swoon doesn't pique your interests, you're probably not all that interesting.
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