Historians - Proof [Stunned]

I’ve been jamming this thing a ton and I figured it’s high time I actually write something about it. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I put this on, but I knew Historians is an awesome name. The music happens to be even better.
“Slice n’ Dice” comes on like a slurred, Dizzee Rascal-esque beat. Minimal, tactile and totally grooving. The jam ramps up with the entrance of an off kilter thumb piano melody and spacey synth swells. Certainly one of the finest thumb piano uses I’ve heard. The track just keeps ruling, getting better and better, for nearly 7 minutes. The drum machine starts hitting harder, a spirit flute starts singing to the sky and a new awesome, bassy thumb piano melody burbles underneath. Seriously this jam just rules through and through, totally inventive and totally addictive. Timbaland should be watching his back. So that’s one hell of a start then Historians lay on “Bomba.” Way weirder, way more splintered but still just as groovy. Loosey goosey drum programming, grinding synth, messy acoustic guitar plucking, sloshed vocals and a spirit flute on the warpath. A minute and 42 seconds is not enough. After a Malmsteenian shredding intro, “2010 Riot” morphs into a bizarre collage of 80’s hip hop drum patterns and wild clashes of flute and guitar. There’s a weird sinister undercurrent about the track for some reason. “Chapter Three” is the slow jam I guess. Though I use that term very loosely. Where the 3 previous tracks displayed tasteful minimalism, this one is a traffic jam of sound, everything bleeding into each other. “Fours (reprise)” has this slinky, intestine-disrupting bassline pushed front and center and whispy touches of organ and guitar and drum machine that bring the whole thing together. “Some Heads Will Rock Others Will Roll” (killer title) is almost as long as all the other tracks combined. It takes on a dronier vibe and Historians do a fine job. There’s a nice swirling presence, with lots of things going on, and it’s real easy to get lost in. It’s a great track though I must I confess part of me really just wants to hear Historians kicking out the jams like the first half of the record.
I’m kinda bummed this was a bonus CD-r instead of a full-on Stunned release. The world needs more copies of this; I call for a cassette repress! Who’s with me?? A world with Historians pumping on everyone’s ghettoblasters… ah, sounds like Paradise to me.