It's not often one finds a working blend of electronica production, New Age philosophy, and hip-hop swagger that comes together as well as it does with ambient-rap outfit Gnos-tel-jah (pronounced "nostalgia.") Yet despite a promising sound, Gnos-tel-jah falls into the same trap as most modern beat artists: overstuffing albums with unneeded filler, half-baked concepts, and perfunctory skits that are neither well-executed nor particularly endearing. In fact, much of Becoming's good intention is marred by the same problem, with every bright spot continually fogged by clumsy execution and a tendency for self-infatuation. Like Becoming itself, Gnos-tel-jah needs one more coat of polish, one more shave of needless weight, and one final soul-searching journey to wick away the amateur stumbles.
Still, Becoming isn't necessarily an exercise in stumbles and trips. More often than not, Gnos-tel-jah displays a knack for interesting concepts, instrumentation, and some sorely-needed infusion of creativity and innovation into generic rap. The swirling, slowed-down "Mysterious" haunts with the overworked rev of its synths, lacking only in the chop and stomp of a stronger beat. The zodiac-cum-Apocalyptic shtick takes a backseat to the minimalist ear candy of "Hardest 2 Overcome," a track that overcomes its poor Rasta imitations with beautiful, simple guitar strokes and ice-cool crooning.
In-between, however, is the banal philosophizing that serves as a counterpart to the skit-work of mainstream rap - the pointless "Chapter 3," for example, which, along with its similar spoken entries, pushes Becoming's offerings to a very-bloated 26 tracks. Thus, for every triumph (the soulful "Red Renee," or melodic, stuttering "So We Walk"), there's an equal and opposite diversion sandwiched between. The result is maddeningly schizophrenic, switching between a semi-promising, fresh-faced sound and badly-botched, badly-recorded poetizing. Becoming is in need of paring, and Gnos-tel-jah of musical discipline - after all, audiences won't care for heavier messages of Gnosticism, Rastafarian gods, and other semi-religious imagery if the package isn't a catchy, appealing tune.
Kevin Liedel-MuzikReviews.com Sr. Staff
September 26, 2009
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