Eric Lau: New Territories (2008)-Eric Lau
Eric Lau: New Territories (2008)
By J.D. Butter
On a superb solo debut, London-based producer Eric Lau, who you’ve probably heard a lot more of than you think, channels the late J Dilla and crafts the type of polished long-playing that is a must-have for all the cool kids in your class.
It is safe to say that Jay Dee’s legacy has continued to flourish posthumously, which is a strong indication of his impact on urban music. While he was quite prolific, he was, nevertheless, on the scene for a relatively short time. Yet, we continue to be reminded how far-reaching his touch was, if only by the litany of beatmakers whose work reflect his influence. UK producer Eric Lau falls into that category, and his joint New Territories almost sounds like homage to Dilla. Thankfully, Lau is quite skilled in his own right, and he is able to demonstrate his Dilla influence while still creating a sound that, if not groundbreaking, still finds a way to create it’s own identity.
I mentioned that you might have heard Lau’s work before, as he has produced work by urban alternative stalwarts like Georgia Anne Muldrow, Dudley Perkins, Guilty Simpson and Hil St. Soul, as well as Lupe Fiasco. On New Territories, Lau relies solely on vocalists to accompany his smooth tracks and lush sonics, though with the liberal use of classic sub harmonic, 808-style bass sounds, the songs definitely have a hip-hop feel. But they also have a nice degree of musicality, and are perfectly crafted to suit some of the up-and-coming vocalists he brought in, like Rahel, who does a real star turn on this LP, Sarina Leah and Meschach Brown. Lau opens the proceedings with an ephemeral, flute-driven instrumental intro "Welcome," which almost serves to make the statement that this album will be, first and foremost, a musical journey, and not one to be defined only by the beats. He follows this up with the smooth but funky "I Don’t Do It," on which Tawiah does a darn good Georgia Anne impression, and Lau shows his affinity for ear-pleasing, synth-driven melodies, mini-codas, and quirky breakdowns, all of which are welcomed in a genre that doesn’t always stretch it’s creative legs. The album really starts to heat up when Lau teams up Meschach and Rahel on the bumpin’ "Final Chance," which grooves along with a cool guitar loop, followed by the reflective "Time Will Tell," which reminds of something James Poyser and the Soulquarians might have produced for Erykah Badu, and "Don’t Let Them," a moody track of soulful affirmation that is another highlight. The second half of the album all but belongs to Rahel, as Lau really creates a lush soul backdrop for her to do her thing. Lau has a great ability to create a canvas for her vocals, while still making sure you realize it’s an Eric Lau album. They really blend exceptionally well and reach the album’s high water mark on the quartet of tracks "Show Me," "Let It Out," "Begin," and "How Far," which bring you down the album’s home stretch. "How Far" is pure Dilla, with it’s truncated synth swatches and slightly offbeat drum track. Meschach returns with his scratchy falsetto for the album closer "Hope," and before you know it, Lau ends the album with an "Outro," and is gone.
That, in fact, is about the only thing I might think to complain about with this joint, the fact that it is relatively short. Most of the fourteen tracks come in under three-and-a half minutes, and don’t necessarily try to develop into anything resembling an opus. But, I prefer to look at it like Lau’s tracks find their pocket, and get in and get out before anything too experimental happens to break up the flow. Lau has put together an album that shows a degree of musical complexity, yet is a very accessible listen. Upon repeated spins, it really comes together as a body of work, kind of like all of a cake’s ingredients settling together better on the second day, and makes more noticeable the overall cohesiveness of the project. It sets a strong vibe that holds on to you throughout, and the album gets pleasantly stronger as it goes on. That is actually an argument in favor of the rather short album, because it feels very concise, with little wasted motion and no fluff. Some might argue that Lau’s sound is derivative, but I think he just happens to be influenced by a lot of artists (Pete Rock, Jay Dee, ?uestlove, Platinum Pied Pipers) who have sounds that are easily recognizable. Nevertheless, he definitely brings his own flavor to the genre, and in fact, any comparison to Dilla has to take notice of the fact that the deft Lau has smoothed out a lot of the rough edges of Jay Dee’s often raw, edgy productions, and made his music a lot more palatable within a soul/R&B paradigm. Any way you slice it, as producer-based solo debuts go, New Territories is definitely one that demonstrates a lot of skill and promise, and I, for one, am looking forward to observing the continuing evolution of Eric Lau.
Copyright C. 2008 J.D. Butter