Rjd2 is in the very enviable position of being the hottest new artist on Def Jux, which is quickly establishing itself as the epicenter of post-millennial hip hop. After Rjd2 dropped the superb I Really Like Your Def Jux Baby Tee earlier this year, a steady buzz began to build that Deadringer would be the next step in instrumental, sample-based hip-hop. Def Jux guru El-P even declared that this record will "change the motherfuckin' world." Heads began to salivate with expectations of a terse, discordant soundscape that mingled the cinematic glory of DJ Shadow with the decidedly subterranean grime of the other Def Jux releases. It seemed to be a marriage made in heaven, albeit a particularly dark and confusing corner of God's kingdom.

Perhaps you should brace yourself before sliding this particular slab of vinyl onto the decks. While the Shadow influence is evident throughout the album, Deadringer sounds absolutely nothing like anything else on Def Jux. It's funky, soulful and seems to draw more from The Beatles than it does Skinny Puppy. That's not to say that there aren't dark moments on Deadringer, but that Rjd2 maintains a stylistic consistency while oscillating emotions and moods at the drop of a hat, and that its ability to capture the various hues that comprise life's mosaic is a rare thing to find in today's music.

Opener "The Horror" kicks off with a jolting chorus of horns before quickly fading into a grandiose, cheeky sci-fi sample that sounds more playful than menacing. A flanged voice declares, "It's time, time, time to understand the horror... It's time, time, time to understand the monster." These light, almost teasing moments, which are liberally sprinkled throughout the album, keep Rjd2's soundscapes from veering too closely into Shadow territory and help this album overcome the generally monotony of most music being labeled 'cinematic.'

But if you think you've got this record's number already, think again: "Smoke and Mirrors" totally flips the script. It's bluesy, eerily reminiscent of the cold psychedelia laid out by early Pink Floyd. After a raucous intro, a throaty voice pops in and sings, "Who knows what tomorrow will bring, maybe sunshine, maybe rain... maybe it'll bring my love to me." And while the track initially comes across as simplistic and retro, the subtleties of its execution are complex, transcending the genres that inform it.

Other strains of psychedelia can be heard throughout this album. "Ghostwriter," with its light, shimmering guitar work, alternating samples of 'mmms' and 'ahhs,' and chorus of triumphant horns, recalls the joyful loopiness that defined the best psych-pop of the mid-60s. The song's final joyful burst is so sublime that it alone justifies purchasing this album.

"Final Frontier" and "F.F.H." prove that Rjd2, who got his start doing the production work for the MHZ crew, can still back up an emcee. Unlike other producer wunderkinds, Rjd2 never allows the production to overwhelm the vocalist, and as a result, both tracks are highly effective. But the symbiotic dynamic between producer and emcee is most evident in the incredible "June." The production seems understated and almost ordinary as Copywrite spits his verse, but in the long break between the first and second verses the hypnotic brilliance of the track crystallizes. The interplay between the flamenco guitar, ringing synth, and shuffling breakbeat is transporting. And how the music drops before Copywrite comes with his second verse is a minor but brilliant touch.

But Deadringer's real jewel comes after the album is officially over. While hidden tracks tend to be gimmicky clunkers, this is a diaphanous slab of soul. The brief, simple sample that anchors the track is both melancholic and resilient. A smoky yet smooth vocal sample declares, "You are gone, I'm so all alone... as I stare at the ceiling." It's a rare display of emotional transparency in hip-hop, although it would be a bit unfair to classify Deadringer as strictly hip-hop.

There are a few missteps. While Rjd2 inarguably brings the heat with "The Chicken Bone Circuit," the track's breakbeats-on-steroids drums and haunting, minimalist piano sample too closely approximate DJ Shadow. "The Proxy" might serve as a standout track for those who enjoyed Bundy K Brown and Jim O'Rourke's remixes on The Sea & Cake's Two Gentlemen EP, but it's a bit too lite for my tastes. Still, for every instance that the disc threatens to blatantly parody Shadow or descend into the impish, commercialized world of Moby, Rjd2 tweaks a sample and drops a beat that makes your heart palpitate. While it's doubtful that this album will "change the motherfucking world," or even the landscape of hip-hop, Rjd2 has managed to perfect his certain brand of sampling, making Deadringer an essential purchase for any fan of instrumental hip-hop.

-Sam Chennault, July 26th, 2002