REVIEW: B-Ju ‘Prozac People’

The culture that has grown out of mixing music is a richly diverse field of mediums, scenes, and sounds. Synthetic sound, that is artificial noise, has been a part of the collective bank of recorded music for long enough that older keyboards and synth pads (i.e. Moog) have become legitimately vintage. The practices of live turn-tabling and even tape sampling are no longer unanimously learned skills for disc jockeys of the 21st century. Essentially (heavy emphasis on the generalizing quality of this word, due to the controversiality of what is about to be said), any of the elements of these skillful older practices, as well as any of the noises achievable by older synth machines, can be reproduced on a laptop with the right programs and know-how. To put it simply, the proliferation of music production technology has enabled an old way and a new way to produce electronic music. Of course there are advantages and drawbacks to each, but any field with a dichotomy so described, is bound to cultivate an experimental route for artists that selectively choose elements from the history of their genre as well as incorporate new practices and sounds. Enter B-Ju. 

Young German artist B-Ju released ‘Prozac People’ on Error Broadcast recordings this past week, his first release with the label since the ‘Dog Day’ EP of 2010. ‘Prozac People’ features four original tracks by B-Ju and three remixes. Employing an extroverted combination of retro synth pads, tight percussion, and head-banging bass, B-Ju has curated an album that bridges the dichotomy with refined taste. I describe B-Ju as having “refined taste,” but what allows me as the music journalist to pass such judgment, when to many listeners this album might not sound as vastly different from other music posted on this blog as that lofty qualifier might indicate? Point being: The goal of this review is not to pass judgment on B-Ju’s work itself, but to foster an appreciation for some instrumental hip-hop that may sound cursory to only a passing listen. 

Rather than go through each track on the album (they are all exquisite enough to speak for themselves, not to mention you can also read about the track “Vector Love” here on LC), this review is going to examine B-Ju as the artist and his sound as his medium. Assuming you listened to ‘Prozac People’ knowing nothing about the medium, scene, or sound it is produced from, how can one objectively determine the quality? First of all, there is the crispness of each layer. Crisp means clean; cleanliness is next to godliness. Next, ‘Prozac People’ denotes  fullness with every stanza. There is never a point on the record where sound feels lacking. Thirdly, movement. It comes from someplace else and is transmitted through your body to coordinate the physical world with the auditory. Don’t suppress it. Lastly (consider these four reasons the short list), unconscious distinction. Go with me on this one; None of the individual sounds on the record can be imagined to be anything except what they are. There aren’t any hanging clicks, questionable timings, blank spaces, missing drops, or any element that feels out of place according to the theoretically perfect mental expectation of ‘Prozac People.’ 

Okay, now let’s fill in the story. ‘Prozac People’ is released on vinyl, B-Ju is highly skilled at turntabling, and this album fits into a forward-thinking, bass-driven music scene that has consistently pushed the boundaries of what was thought to be intelligent dance music. This is the reason you’ll commonly find descriptions of this album moving your head and your feet in other reviews around the web. Take the track “Seduction” for example; which is arguably the most experimental track on the record. Drowning your head in the deep end initially, slowly a lounge vibe emerges from the unfathomable sub-reaches, punctuated by glistening shakers and poignant footwork. The track continues to move your body, brings back the deep synth stabs, and mixes in some stuttered claps. Then after that it’s all about the drops and builds, forming stereo gradients in your ears. It’s like B-Ju mixed a fantasy vision of lighthearted wooing between two classy lovers with the trumpet call of war horns before a battle. That, I daresay, is genius. It gives you the perfect balance of uneasiness and calm. 

The last three tracks of the album are remixes by label-mate Monolithium, as well as by 813 and eLan. Two treatments of the first track, “Mia Got A New Haircut,” showcase two vastly different musical routes. Monolithium propels the song into overdrive, whereas eLan pushes the slower wash atmosphere with well-timed percussive notes and a melodic synth orchestra. 813 remixed “Gobble Gobble,” taking the least exciting track from the four originals and creating a funky, rambunctious jam. 

B-Ju is a fresh artist making some forward-thinking music, but he pulls from the past a few rather difficult trades that raise his sound to the next level. ‘Prozac People’ is a monstrous release from Error Broadcast, anything but cursory if you’re really listening.

Purchase a copy of ‘Prozac People’ out now on the always pristine Error Broadcast.