Tor & Sufjan Stevens - 'Dumb I Sound / ATLiens (f. Outkast)'
Canadian producer
Tor has mixed the white Christian folk tunes of Sufjan Stevens and the rhymes of various hip-hop heads (Outkast, El-P, Big Daddy Kane). Against the odds, good things result.
Tor has taken samples from various Sufjan Stevens records:
Illinoise,
A Sun Came,
Seven Swans and
Songs for Christmas. The EP is titled
Illinoize and is co-credited to Tor and Sufjan Stevens.
The initial shock of the indie-folk/hip-hop conjunction is overwhelmed by the consummate production. This is hip-hop on the chilled end, as you'd expect. The subtle, melancholy orchestration of Sufjan's craft pairs well with the classic hip-hop boom-bap drum patterns. The drift of vocal melodies and Stevens' choral colours is a readily identifiable element, weaving in behind the MCs rhymes.
It suggests bright things ahead for Tor. The free internet remix-tape is an excellent tool for skills to be heard. Remember the Grey Tapes? The thing that launched Danger Mouse into the stratosphere?
The EP - seven tracks in all - is available for
free download and stream at the
Illinoize website.