GutterPutter

To put it simply, every good rapper needs a good beat to match to the cadence. Ask Jay-Z when he’s making Reasonable Doubt back in 1996 or Tyler, the Creator at the time of Igor’s creation what their selection process is & why that’s important. A knack of rhythm for the drum machine & a good sprinkle of studio salvaging can turn a sample from a knock-off to a piece of electro-manipulated treasure. Channel Tres, A.K.A Sheldon Young, might not have the reputation as being among the best producer of his time, but he sure does know how to make four beats hit the floor hard. refresh is his most recent album, a surprise release in fact, since his climb to recognition from 2017. Yet, there is a certain aspect around it that is missing which prevents him from getting his shot in the spotlight.

Firstly, the production within the album is solid. There’s a certain diversity within the tracks that makes it catchy like the clicking in ‘over and over’, ‘pathways’ with the synths, or the techno-dripped rattling in ‘reasons’. The timing of each hi-hat landing, the psychedelic manoeuvre from the studio mixing makes for a slightly enchanting listen, & the twists to used samples ensure that the rest of the album gets to land hard to the rhythm in common time. In theory, it should work well as being an instrumental album, the synergy in the sounds is always at the forefront without a leading vocal. Right?

Not really. Saying that it’s gimmicky isn’t an appropriate word to use for the album as it most certainly doesn’t seek to break ground, but it doesn’t have a punch as a result of it. While all the songs are quite easy to dance to, it lacks the kinesis in its composition or its sound to make it unique, peculiar, or even remotely interesting to listen to. It doesn’t share the IDM-esque experimentation with the song structure which makes it not derivative, but more tried & tired out of its song structure as they all follow the attempt to build up the music. The samples also feel dull in practice with the vocal bits being especially off-putting in the beginning of ‘willow’. There doesn’t appear to be anything that is exciting about whatever slight deviation the album tries to turn up with such as ‘prada’ with the spacey flutes, the futuristic atmosphere which is forgettable in ‘antigua’, or the hi-hats in ‘either way’ which sells hard on its bassline if I may so say.

Much can be said when even after listening to it multiple times to try & pick out on some of the nuances for the review, this might be among the shortest reviews I have done in this blog yet. Yes, the album does offer some knack of being easy to dance to when you feel like it, but there is neither surprises nor identity to be had in refresh. Although an interview with Uproxx in 2019 suggests that he makes music with a socio-conscious intent of breaking down MC stereotypes, this album ironically crumbles because of its inability to provide a new idea for listeners to enjoy.

If the main intent for it is to be a nice hip house record with the selling point being its punchy percussion, then it does its job well. Otherwise, listeners outside of dance music who are hoping for an innovative, experimental, or even a remotely likeable LP might find themselves unsatisfied with this. Temper your expectation because while Channel Tres does show the talent needed to work with Tyler, the Creator, refresh feels more like an attempt to set up a paycheck than it does a full revelation of his talent.