afrikan sciences: circuitous

At that nexus of Afrofuturism, science fiction, transcendental free jazz, and future hip hop, this new work from Eric Douglas Porter casts itself and its creator in a liminal zone most recognizably charted by astral traveler Sun Ra. Circuitous follows nearly a decade of releases for Deepblak -- the Oakland-rooted imprint of frequent collaborator Aybee -- and shares common blood with both the elevated consciousness of late '80s club culture and contemporary west coast beat scene. Built around Porter's signature polyrhythms and complex melodies, the album's 14 tracks demonstrate an unorthodox agility honed over a long history of live improvised sets combining multiple turntables, upright bass, and a command center of digital tablets and controllers. Each track maps the artist's own movements, tracing paths of flight, highway trajectories through tunnels and over bridges, and rides through rough and gated neighborhoods. If familiar on the surface, deeper or repeated listenings to Circuitous reveal the dynamic multiplicity within. Circuitous is a free and unbound body of work -- one that defies easy classification yet translates fluidly across multiple environments -- presented on double LP in order to fully realize the scope of Afrikan Sciences' sonic palette. The album was mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering and features artwork by Louis Reith and Bill Kouligas.