New Mayor Kenji: $egalopolis (Disc 1)

$egalopolis (Disc 1) is an argument for hyper culture consumption. The latest from Wasabi Tapes is more collage than works by other projects on the label like Toiret Status and even Pachinko Machine Music, and even feels a bit more quilt-like than other works from the artist now going as Mayor Kenji. But this sprawling album — 32 tracks! — is one of the more impressive experiments in sample overload the label has put out. Video game dialogue leads to faded voices from long-forgotten YouTube videos, while a song like “Robin” matches sludge sounds up with fuckin’ Hanna-Barbera cues. Grooves and skeletons of what could be songs emerge throughout — the frantic beat of “Black Market,” the springy synth work of “Secret Lab” — but songs are often so short that the overall effect is like listening to a bunch of ideas stapled together. It’s another fascinating peak into the world of Wasabi Tapes. Get it here, or listen below.