In 1996, Ultramagnetic MCs’ Kool Keith struck out solo as Dr. Octagon, unleashing an hour of impressionistic lyrics that split the difference between spy-fi cartoon whimsy and straight-up scat porn, held together by rock-solid production from Dan The Automator and virtuosic scratches from DJ Qbert. In the two decades since then, Keith’s released about two dozen albums in various guises, never quite recapturing the manic energy (or quality control) his solo debut had. In 1999, he straight-up killed off the character; in 2006, he released an ambitious Return Of Dr. Octagon LP that jettisoned his previous collaborators and largely fell flat.
Well, now all three are back for the perfectly logically titled Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation. There is nothing to say about that title because it makes perfect sense. The record’s out April 6, and they’ve released a single, “Octagon Octagon,” that contains the word “octagon” many, many times. In short, they’re not reinventing the wheel, but it sounds like they’re having a lot of fun together. Listen to it below while dreading whatever Keith is about to say on “Karma Sutra.”
Tracklisting:
1. “Octagon Octagon”
2. “Polka Dots”
3. “Black Hole Son”
4. “Power Of The World”
5. “Operation Zero”
6. “Bear Witness IV”
7. “Area 54 (IG2)”
8. “Flying Waterbed (IG4)”
9. “3030 Meets The Doc Pt.1″
10. “Karma Sutra”
11. “Hollywood Tailswinging”