Despite some critically acclaimed releases to his name (“Mixed Messages” & “Teach the Children”), and his obvious talents being revealed on anything he touches, DJ Signify has never really got his due. “Sleep No More” couldn’t be named more appropriately because you simply cannot sleep on this man any longer. Sig’s latest project comes via Lex Records, which is quickly becoming of hip-hop’s dopest labels (and always coming with the best artwork).
Signify’s album fits into a new genre that seems to be growing steadily in these past few years; part instrumental and part “regular” song. Notice the quotation marks around ‘regular,’ I blush at bringing that word anywhere near what Sage Francis and Buck 65 offer here. But hey, for a lack of better description, there it is. So yes, Signify’s austere and morose instrumentals are skillfully sewn together by Sage and Buck 65’s vivid tales of a seedy underworld that only appears in cult favorite B-movies. It is no wonder Sage and Buck were the only 2 (out of 2500 auditioned), to make the cut for the album. After Sig sets the tone for the album with the bare bones intro “Fly Away,” Sage steps to the plate dismantles his rolling drums on the too-clever-for-his-own-good “Kiddie Litter.”
After another subdued instrumental that gets more sinister with each passing second (“Migraine”), the real horror begins as Buck 65 drags you down into places that people spend their entire lives trying to avoid. With each line of “Stranded” Buck adds depth to the picture he paints, leaving you with one of the most vivid stories ever captured on wax. Just try not to get lured in to this: “Our room was a bad dream, floor to the ceiling/burn marks everywhere, the wallpaper was peeling/the bathroom was crawling with roaches and beetles/the sign above the toilet read ‘Don’t Flush Your Needles’/the towels were all yellow, the bathtub was filthy/somebody wrote on the wall the word ‘guilty’/unable to speak, our thoughts were in brackets/we called it a night and slept in our jackets.” Signify takes the tempo up a notch for Sage to relate a story of his meeting with a disturbed old man on “Haunted House Party.” As dope as it is, it pales in comparison to “Winter’s Going.” Buck’s tale of twisted love is disturbing enough, but Signify’s collection of stripped down drums, eerie horns and somber acoustics create a soundscape that is too incredible to be done justice by words. And when the track breaks down at around the three minute mark and he takes the drums up a notch…Damn! I lose my damn mind every time.
Signify continues to precisely craft his moods as he injects three parts of “Peek’a Boo” that all vary significantly yet maintain the same vibe. “Part 2” of the 3 is easily the best as Sig really lets loose on the drum machine but still manages to leave room for the macabre groans that underscore the drums. “Five Leaves Left (For Lauren)” is about the only bright spot on the album, like a beautiful sun set on a cold and desolate landscape. The sun quickly disappears though and “Dirty” drags you back into the sordid alley way before Buck 65 lures you up to his cramped apartment for one last bizarre anecdote of a women (“Where Did She Go?”).
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Albums as dark and as temperamental as this one often tread a very fine line of either really ill or really boring. “Sleep No More” fits the former category, and probably even sets a new standard for it. I can’t think of any other albums in this format that created a mood as descriptively as Signify, Sage and Buck 65 have. Just don’t expect a pleasant walk through the park or a some ass-shaking at the club (there are plenty of albums to satisfy those needs), this is dragging yourself through a rat infested alley, on your hands and knees, over broken glass and used needles. Sound a little morbid? Perhaps a bit frightening? Sleep no more…
7.5/10
