One of the surprises of the tail-end of this year is this album from Mac Blackout. I shouldn't be too surprised given that his album is out on Trouble in Mind Records. The label's been batting 1000 for a few years now, and it goes without saying that nearly anything on there is worth listening to. And Love Profess, out on Friday, is no exception.
An album that starts with the sort of free jazz that feels at least familiar, things move quickly beyond "Wandering Spheres" and into other territory entirely. "Forever" finds Mac using sax and faint keyboard samples to craft something nearly ambient, but thoroughly unsettling, while "Magic Hour 2020", with vocal samples from a younger Mac Blackout, is more Fad Gadget than John Coltrane. Elsewhere, "Revolutionary Tide" uses horn honks to punctuate a ruminative exploration of electronica, while the lovely clsoer "Dear Mom" reminded me of an Underworld number, or something from Eno.
Love Profess is going to get hyped as a jazz record and that's unfortunate. It's really something else entirely, and it's likely going to disappoint anyone looking for jazz. That said, it's sure to inspire anyone who's looking for something bravely iconoclastic. Skipping over genre labels, Mac Blackout deftly charts his own path here, offering up something that's moody and very effective, and oddly emotoional in spots.
Love Profess is out on Friday via Trouble in Mind Records.
More details on Mac Blackout via the official website.
[Photo: Mac Blackout Bandcamp]