When Dan The Automator confirmed new Dr. Octagon material was on the way last April, Hip Hop purists rejoiced. The trio’s inaugural album — 1996’s Dr. Octagenacologyst — captivated those crate-diggin’, all four elements-lovin’ Hip Hop fans and was eventually certified a bona fide underground classic.
Twenty-two years later, Dr. Octagon’s resident weirdo Kool Keith, scratch master DJ QBert and veteran beatsmith Dan The Automator are back with their follow-up to 2006’s The Return Of Dr. Octagon — the ridiculously titled Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Horripilation.
Picking up right where they left off, Keith reemerges as a time-traveling, sex-crazed surgeon who spends his time dissecting the English language and stitching it back up in a way that only he truly understands.
With lines like, “Dr. Octagon sit on space beach with a bucket hat/ Way beyond the fitted and the snapback/ 3 point 5 million served/ My wings make you look like atomic birds/ Flying like a UFO with the rockets/ They must be sniffing stardust in their show/ Nasal so big I can fly aircraft up your nose,” it’s clear Keith hasn’t come back from whatever trip he’s been on since co-founding the Ultramagnetic MCs in 1984.
But that’s nothing new. Keith has built an entire career on his abstract, stream-of-consciousness rhymes, which scream loudly throughout the 11-track project.
From QBert’s otherworldly scratching skills on the “Bear Witness IV” instrumental to Keith’s ultra-twisted musings about life on “Operation Zero,” Moosebumps is a staunch reminder of why fans fell in love with the trio back in the day. It’s a predictable — yet unapologetically familiar — combination of traditional boom-bap, ethereal melodies and Keith’s descriptive, almost inappropriate sense of humor.
Aside from Del The Funky Homosapien scrubbing in for album highlight “3030 Meets The Doc Pt. 1,” Keith carries the bulk of the vocals.[apple_news_ad type=”any”]
Production wise, the album’s pace switches up constantly. Lead single “Octagon Octagon” gets Moosebumps off the ground with its driving bass while the nearly whimsical hook for “Flying Waterbed” could have been plucked from any indie rock ballad with its emotive feel. Even when the immediate aggressiveness of “Karma Sutra” is momentarily jarring, it’s tempered by the delicate sounds of a violin floating on top of the driving guitar riffs.
Elsewhere, the beat for album closer “Hollywood Tailswinging” puts an obvious spotlight on Keith’s lyrical style but paired with the dark intensity of the beat, it weighs too heavily and chops up the momentum as Keith raps about baby dinosaurs, alligators and cornbread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npcX-IBdyJs
QBert — who is historically the unsung hero of Dr. Octagon albums — is (and always has been) a voracious beast on the tables. The Invisibl Skratch Piklz vet consistently executes his flair for precise scratching and well-placed interludes. The aforementioned “Bear Witness IV” is actually a reimagined version of “Bear Witness,” which originally appeared on Dr. Octagonecologyst.
Not only is the fictional Dr. Octagon an orthopedic gynecologist from Jupiter, but his propensity for spitting X-Rated lyrics has shaped Keith’s legacy and continues to define his brand of rap. So, without the sexually explicit references on songs like “Area 54” and “Polka Dots,” would it really be a Dr. Octagon album? No.
But for those expecting Dr. Octagon to reinvent the proverbial wheel, they might want to think again. Dan The Automator will always produce some kind of weird jazz, funk and soul fusion, QBert will always deliver top-notch turntablism and Keith will always be, well, Keith.
Moosebumps may not move a million units but having Dr. Octagon taking patients again is an undeniably intriguing affair.
Octagon oxygen better be breathin, synthesizer sippin syrup sandwiches bitches banged n breadin
This shit is fire. A very strong follow up to the classic!!!
this album was flames.
I rolled one up… started smokin’ and started listening to this album. This shit had me dyin’ all the way thru. Very entertaining.
Didn’t get this album. Maybe you have to be a stoner to enjoy it? lol
nah you just have to be there from the beginning
The first project was dope….this is trash. And i’m High off ether and angel dust right now doggy. Most the dudes on here liking this have anime bedsheet covers..don’t fall for it doggy
pinky toe
FIRE!!!!!
For once i somewhat agree with the rating. A strong follow up to an underground cult classic which is hard to follow up. The thing that’s missing in this album are the skits. I cant’t understand why they choose to do an Octagonalbum without skits. Too bad, but still a good album though.
Shiet they did good on this one. Dan’s beats have become…predictable, which is sad because they’re all well above the grade of most music these days. He’s gotten too good for his own good. That was my first opinion, to which I felt the same about the last Deltron album and the second Handsome Boy. I’d like to see him throw a curveball or two in there. I’m a complete arsehole for complaining that I get bored with too many 9/10 quality beats..I know this. Q did his thing all over this. Again, the Bare Witness was cut from the same mold as others so didn’t hit like the original (or the holy grail Handsome Boy one). I think they missed a trick not getting Kid Koala on there with Q. (PLEASE VINYL LORD SEND US A Q and KK Colab Album…can you imagine??). The cuts were still super clean.
Keith killed it again. His nonsense raps are so detailed that you can’t laugh them off, you have to stitch them together and find meaning. Just when you realize there is actually only a semblance of sanity to them, they’re imprinted on you and you ride along with them no problem. This album made me check for Keith in the last few years and he had a really good EP in 16 with KutMaster Kurt called Your Mom is My Wife. Its not on the level of Diesel Truckers, but its good. Long live Keith.
Long live Automator group raps.
Can we get a Lovage 2 maybe?
This what you do when nothing else seems to be catching your fans eye. When Dr. Oct first came out only the white kid college radio station would play Blue Flowers and the rest of 9os hip hip was scratching their heads at it. I love the first project…but even from the snippets posted in the article just feels like dragging out a concept that worked once for keep something going for yourself.
Loving the nice throwback vibe to this
Top 5 this year
this albums grown on me…i really like it…so nice to hear q bert scratching on songs again…really miss that element in modern albums…keith has a great sense of humour…
Eh, cannot agree with that rating at all. This just sounds lazy compared to their better outings.
SOUNDS STALE NOT IMPRESSED