2003, Anticon

themselves, formerly them, are doseone and jel-- the former a nowhere man out to make the world small and his neuroses something lovely, an artist free of form and slave to his own scatterbrained genius; the latter the drum machine's premier musician, whose distinct few-bit sound and rhythmic sensibilities get him coveted by vocalists and MCs far and wide. them was originally released as a self-titled album by them in May of 2000 when little about anticon was known or understood; the record went out of print about a year after its release. For many, this album introduced the ground-breaking, genre-defying madness of the duo. jel's distinct sound naturally facilitates doseone's surreal vocals, evoking another world entirely. The record is a funhouse ride turned ugly-- through childlike daydreams and social rants, to hip hop bravado and just outright strangeness. Ultimately, you're left wondering where you are and what you're listening to, but you don't mind because it sounds so compelling.