Clockwork Indigo, a play on Stanly Krubrick's classic movie, is the name of a collaborative effort between Flatbush Zombies and The Underachievers, also of Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. This is the super group's only release, a short five track EP which to me sounds like an Underachievers release considering I am unfamiliar with the Flatbush Zombies. The project was created when the two groups decided to tour together. Rather than just tour they decided to take it to the studio and create this record to help promote the tour and vice versa.
So being unfamiliar with the Zombies it feels like a completely organic and natural exercise as their raps and contributions fit right along AK and Issa. With equally aggressive and boisterous raps it fits the tone, however with mostly violent, braggadocios and party raps, the occasional sprinkling of insightful or social conscious lyrics do little to stop my attention from shifting to the instrumentals. The opening "Butterfly Effect" graces seven minutes as each rapper gets passed the mic over a memorable beat with unnerving string samples looped over a rough, boom bap beat where you can hear the vinyl needle static in the capture, playing it over and over ads a little dirt to the beat. After the verses the song winds down with some speach samples before transitioning into warm and bright piano chords with a melody whistled, then played on the piano, then sung before snipping short segments of the samples again.
Its nice to hear an instrumental expand itself beyond the basic loop but the opener is the only one to do so, the other four just play out to the raps and so the best part of these songs are the hooks. "Ain't this what you want?" with its flamboyant delivery will stick in the mind. "Benefit Concert" has dampened group shouts calling out "Mosh. Mosh, Mosh. Mosh" in the chorus. Great hooks but not much lyrical substance beyond a few catchy lines. As a record it doesn't feel too indifferent from what id expect of The Underachievers. It doesn't wow but it ain't bad either.
Favorite Tracks: Butterfly Effect, Benefit Concert
Rating: 5/10