Exmilitary

Death Grips

Exmilitary is 10 years old now and I have no clue where that time went. When I first heard it at the time, it took me a while to acclimate. I can't remember if I was as interested in hip-hop back then to the extent I am today, but what might have helped bring me on board was the sample choices. I recognized the nods to alternative rock (Jane's Addiction), hardcore punk (Black Flag), psych rock (Pink Floyd and David Bowie), electropop (Pet Shop Boys), and classic rock and roll (Link Wray) which created a gateway into this band. Of course it could also be because of Zach Hill's involvement. By now, you may know that Zach Hill is my favourite musician of all time. I am such a huge fan of his drumming. Any confusion I might have had on my first few listens was quelled by the fantastic and familiar drum work on tracks like Culture Shock, Thru the Walls, Known For It, and Blood Creepin.

Once I came around, I was in head over heels on this thing. It was extreme, but it was hip-hop, and that was something totally new to me at the time. Guillotine and Takyon are dark, bass heavy, industrially-tinged tracks that feature vocalist, Ride, yelling relentless; a vocal delivery he employs many times over the course of this record. Known For It has an infectiously catchy chorus thanks in part to a great sample from Quest: A Long Ray's Journey Into Light. The drumming over this section, as I already mentioned, is stellar and when Ride yells the track's title, I can't help but yell along. Culture Shock is a much more subdued track, but the song's melody comes from what sounds like a Ride vocal sample that is chopped and manipulated in a way that immediately grabs your attention.

I could go on and on about what makes each track incredibly special here but then this would no longer be a journal entry. In hindsight, I now know that this is certainly not the first record to explore this sound. But dare I say this is the record that might have been the most impactful and influential. After Death Grips established themselves with this record, it appeared to me that many other artists (mainstream or not) experimented and embraced elements of noise, industrial, or more aggressive presentations.