Review: Oh.Bliv x Just Plain Ant - Black Soap

Towards the end of my interview with Just Plain Ant (Anthony Gillison), an upstart hip-hop producer from Richmond, Virginia, he was mentioning the future of his musical pursuits. You can go ahead and check out the interview here for details, but--in a nutshell--he announced that he was going to found a netlabel entitled Just Plain Sounds that would work with local artists to put out high-quality, freely available albums.

Here we are a few months later, and it seems that Gillison is delivering on his promise. With Braintrust's The Bailout, Jay Slim's The High Life, and--this little number--Oh. Bliv x Just Plain Ant's Black Soap all coming out since we talked in March, it seems safe to say that the young producer has proved his vision true. But, enough of this exposé on Just Plain Ant and his ventures, let's talk music, shall we?

Given the nature of Ant's previously released work and his collaboration with Brad Oblivion (Score One for the Little Guy, Earthtone), listening to Black Soap came as a bit of a shock. What I was expecting to be another Just Plain Sounds release complete with the vocal graces of Brad Oh turned out to be a completely lyricless album that compensates with thoughtful sample work and tight production.

One of the hard parts about listening to this album is it's beginning though. Kicking off Black Soap is a sparsely furnished bass loop entitled "Kugichagalia" followed by the jarringly paced "Off." These two track just seem to be at odds with each other as well as the whole album. While "Kugichagalia" is a smooth but relatively barren barren trip that ends much the same way it started, "Off" takes this idea of songmaking and flips it on its ear by starting with a swelling guitar loop that quickly fades out and is replaced by a different beat entirely. The whole thing doesn't sound necessarily bad, but it does give a dischordant and disorganized feeling to the beginning of an album that does not need a confusing first impression.

Thankfully, the album picks up steam and comes into its own with the next track, "They Belong to Me." The little comedy sketch sample at the beginning eventually gives way to a nice, jazzy number complete with a catchy keyboard hook to tie it all together. And the goodness does not stop there. From "They Belong to Me" through the rest of the album, Black Soap is full of no-nonsense, old school beatmaking that sounds remarkably fresh and tasteful.

Most notable tracks include the relaxing piano of the inexplicably named "How You Want It, Pt. 2" (there does not seem to be a first part), the eerie soundscape of "Scavengers," and the salsa lounge atmosphere of "Back to This." What all of these songs do above the rest is add another layer that extends beyond sampling and beat making. These songs have a pace such that they never keep you in one spot for too long, and the next place that they take you is at least as interesting as the last. This makes these songs feel like more meaningful journeys than the rest, but rest assured that this is not to say that the rest are by any means dull or unenjoyable.

It just seems that there is something missing from some of the other tracks; not a big something, just a little one. The reason for this may just stem from my expectation that there would be words to accompany these beats upon my initial listen, or perhaps it is because I am not entirely well-versed in this kind of music. Regardless, Black Soap left me with only this tinge of regret, which is to say, simply put, that this is one small complaint towards what is otherwise a fully competent and strong album.

So with that said, Just Plain Ant and Brad Oblivion's collaboration may not sound like the kind of music that will be rockin' the party anytime soon, but it does make for some enjoyable listening in it's own right. Be sure to pick it up here, or at least give it a listen using the embedded player. Go ahead, don't be scared. Clean your ears with some Black Soap.