Dislocated Styles exhibit a strong musical prowess with a wide array of unlikely influences on this CD, painting a vibrant picture of sound that pleases the ear while giving the mind a lyrical workout. Comparable in part to Shootyz Groove or the Phunk Junkeez this act sketches out smoothed out jazz flavored backbeats, distorted guitars, mild funk, and stylish melodies overall into a delectable package. Vocals to the groups music are like a key to a lock and with 2 members flowing with each other in the mix, the verbal side of this album almost feels like a car race as each MC's lyrical vehicle slightly pulls ahead of the other, only to be outdone by the next MC's shrewd rhyme. This is all supported by a veritable safety net of back up vocals which can at times stray into raps, but for the most part fills out the choruses, being that the back up vocals are provided by two other members of the group, the extra effort ends up giving many voices to the overall album while the songs take the listener on an intelligent lyrical jaunt through everything from porno to pop culture. Lyrics are one of Dislocated Styles highlights, the rhymes are provocatively sharp with sly wit and low brow humor, verses that snugly interlock with the next, for example "Floor 13"'s "It must be simple and effective from the prime directive, to shake detectives off the trail" but this acute use of wording can be changed to even fit the more peculiar of subjects, such as the ode to masturbation and porno video's that is "Wet Video" which comes complete with orgasmic girl sounds. It's hard not to notice that this band pays a strong focus on the potent vocal aspect of this CD. Guitars are well trained, there is little to no saturation at all, no excessive noodling around with riffs or squeals instead they are very environmental in nature, sometimes wah coated, sometimes draped in other effects and now and then even molded with distorted riffs that fuel the songs intensity. The guitars riffs seem to lightly wrap themselves in the song structure as a whole. Bass is somewhat jazzy with a mild funk influence, very skilled, giving lots of breathing room and almost taking pages from the guitars book. Some mild effects are used, plus slap and pop and drawn out roomy basslines all surface throughout the CD's 15 tracks and at almost all times fit superbly. Drums are solid, perhaps a bit average in nature with less room to branch off as they are structured as a constant key element in the bands music. Although they do tend to stick with a fairly unchanging beat as a whole, there is a lot of spaces and fills coupled with the mild roll here and there that gives a very live jam session feel and provides a steady backbeat that although not drastically dynamic in nature, will keep listeners with keen ears to precise percussion entertained. Keyboards are a pleasant addition to the group, showcasing 70's organ tones, winding loop like 90's hip hop parts or at one point even tripped out almost flute sounding tones, these keyboard parts are very much a part of the foundation of this groups overall style and sound and succeed in adding a wealthy multitude of auditory dimensions. Turntables are played with a slightly curious style, there's the standard hip hop influence, but there's also the slight shade of turntable wizardry often associated with ambient music that gives a resonant hue to the music. Rarely going all out, the restraint used definitely enhances the music with an unpredictable quality not often heard by today's more raw DJ's who try to smother the mix. The Dislo crew definitely have an entire deck of cards up their sleeves, because just explaining the basic instrumentation alone gives a seemingly vague description of what is entrenched in this CD after hearing it. There's offbeat samples, 808 reminiscent booming bass hits, effect heavy samples, lounge like jazz music, mild trip-hop and the odd smear off light hearted rapcore, with of course almost everything else you could think of. Their attention to detail and the impenetrable wall of sound they erect has so many dimensions and layers they could make kevlar look like paper, truly making the album a rich experience to listen to. But this is also the one strike that is noticeable against the CD, although not schizophrenic, the group does indeed spread themselves into every nook and cranny they can, and although for the most part it works, there is a few times it ends up coming off with them sounding spread a bit to thin. This is not necessarily a bad thing, when considering the group is experimenting with in part at least a dozen influences and styles, yet when viewed as a complete product it can seem a bit less focused or perhaps even the group sounding unsure themselves of what they are shooting for, but without question, they definitely do achieve something that is thought provoking. Don't expect your run of the mill rapcore, or scream rap vocals, or even a group who follows the basic verse/chorus structure as Dislocated Styles follows none of these basic principles, instead expect a very conceptual album which will appeal to fans of the hip hop or rapcore genre who appreciate dense musical structure with refined musicianmanship and stinging intricately constructed vocals. "Elevator Music" is one of the rare few albums that gives an honest look into music as an art form, and does so in a package that just might very well be enjoyed by even the old along with young.
(4 / 5)