Arca At Juno Download

Review: In a blur of leftfield tendencies, Arca throws down some decidedly unusual hip-hop for Uno, sounding remarkably like little else out there at present. After the meandering lead in of "Dignity", "Focus" sets the tone for the rest of the EP as a loping beat gets decorated with ramshackle samples and melodies, while the vocal flow gets dragged through the electronic mincer to achieve an utterly delirious take on hip-hop paradigms. Everything is anchored by a pervading darkness, even when the melodies might try and be sweet as on "Walls", although the helium vocals might test you on "Ass Swung Low".

Review: The bright and vivid artwork accompanying this mini album from leftfield hip-hop instrumentalists Arca suggests that Stretch 2 will be equally bold and kaleidoscopic. Musically, it's certainly bold, delivering a series of short instrumentals and beatsy doodles that take the hip-hop template and twist it beyond all recognition. The beats are loose, the synths woozy and the vocal samples bizarre, giving the whole thing a dream-like feel (this is particularly true of the beautiful "Maiden Voyage", intoxicating "Meditation" and crystalline "Manners"). For the most part, it's an approach that handsomely pays dividends, offering a set that bristles with interesting ideas and even more interesting sounds.