Send "Doomtree " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Lamusicblog |
 They’ve been developing their art for about ten years now, producing mind-blowing beats and whipping up jaw-dropping lyrics. They’ve put out albums together–three previous records by the names of False Hopes, FH:XV (False Hopes 15), and a self-titled Doomtree, to be exact. They’ve released individual works as well, such as Sims’ Wildlife EP and P.O.S.’ Never Better. This self-described “Midwest hip hop collective” includes members Dessa, Paper Tiger, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, Lazerbeak, and P.O.S., and they drop their new album No Kings on this very day. I am speaking, of course, of the ingenious hip-hop force from Minneapolis: boys and girls, this is Doomtree.Let me make this quite simple. No Kings is nothing short of an unsettling masterpiece, one of those albums where every single track is better than the last. Don’t try to resist it because, I assure you, you can’t. Your efforts will soon prove to be futile, and you’ll be stuck listening to every song at least twice before finally letting go and checking out what else is on the album. Let me make it even simpler. Production? Immaculate! Lyrical substance? Expert! Entire listening experience as a whole? Instant adrenaline rush! I know it may sound as if I’m exaggerating a bit. Hell, if you’ve never heard of Doomtree, you’re probably wondering how all those people in a group just don’t end up creating something overwhelming and chaotic. Well, I’m here to extinguish your fires of doubt. Not every single member is featured on every single track. That’s the beauty of Doomtree; nothing is forced!...full text |
| Buzzinemusic |
| (Doomtree Records) Doomtree, the Twin Cities' hip-hop collective of pumped-up producers, DJs, and emcees, is back in full effect with No Kings. July of this year saw the digital release of 13 Chambers (Wugazi) from Cecil Otter -- a blistering mash-up album that bred the Wu-Tang Clan with Fugazi. It was an album of deep atmosphere and clever integrity, and it was an essential album for fans of genre. Despite the release being an accomplishment in itself, the mash-up came across as a slow-swinging machete of chops, clearing a path for this latest bunch of original material from a reunited collective. Peopled by the usual suspects of DJ producers Paper Tiger, Lazerbea,k and lyrical talents of P.O.S., Sims, Dessa, Mictlan, and Cecil Otter, No Kings comes out with combined fists swinging. Usuall, when the phrase 'greater than the sum of its parts' is employed, it's suggestive of constituent members being lesser than themselves when taken out of the mix. In the instance of Doomtree, each member has spent recent months building strengths, toning muscle, and releasing some of the most important independent hip-hop tracks of the year. Together, the combined force represents a formidable blend of chemistries unified in a common reactionary voice of there being no leader. No King. The result of combined weight arrives with the very first blow. “No Way” opens the album with a slightly fuzzed guitar pulse; this is a simplified method of shifting potent weight. Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger treat the mix like a wall of sound, but they're dismantling the thing brick by brick. The sonic result is thrown at you again and again and again -- pressure of constant assault is sustained. The beat has the full Doomtree flavor, the breaks are all strut, and the lyrics come loaded with social shrewdness. There are cracks in everything; neglect, friction, and frustration instigate attack, and the energy makes rocks with subject matter. Straight after the initial shots of “No Way,” a thundering timpani-like beat of “Bolt Cutter” rolls in like not-too-distant thunder. The track rattles and clangs; personal perspectives of the wasted or reclaimed spaces in life are checked and broken into. Dessa's vocals smooth anger into a refined statement of sadness and strength. The steadily rising tide of poverty is presented as a brutal, unforgiving influence that is capable of screwing everything if we're not unified in finding resolution. What is taken away because of hiked-up rent or ridiculous bills, love rebuilds by gaining access with bolt-cutters. The tracks contrast perspectives and sounds; there is abrasion and there is reflection. There are other easier tracks on the album, but here we have an all-encompassing blend of all aspects displaying the strength of the collective: surreal swirls and bleeps, smooth nylon guitar, and distorted breaks. The manifesto is broad, but the vision of direct action and personal responsibility drives everything forward relentlessly. “If only the stars were close enough / we would paint them” is a seemingly throw-away line, but it's a signature rhyme that displays an abstract idea to make reality hyper-real. It's a killer moment. Volume required. Lead single “The Grand Experiment” presents one of the easier moments to dance, but it also carries the most baggage in terms of subject matter. Every collaborating emcee adds a verse and a fresh perspective, but again with shared vision. From the titanic scale of gods laughing upon Olympus, to the smaller details of microchips and viruses, no angle is too absurd, and every voice seems to compliment the others in its company. The production values of No Kings bring a richness to sound without overreaching into gimmick or shine. Whilst lyrical content shows that opulence is a sometimes fun sport for observers, Doomtree never allows fantasy or accomplishment to distract from the everyday realities faced by the masses. There is no aristocracy here, only The People. No one is watching the throne; instead, there's a sense that, if such furniture was flaunted, the ceremony would be hijacked, the jewels would be sold to feed the kids, to pay the bills, and then to create more art that we can all appreciate. Doomtree works to the ethos that something we can all achieve has a greater value than something few us can afford. The sense of equilibrium in musical design and sociological ambition is what makes this album essential listening....full text |
| Mezzic |
| No Kings is not hot on the heels of F H : X V or 2008′s Doomtree. It’s in searing pursuit, hugging hairpin curves tighter, and launching a full on Mad Max auditory assault that chases you down, latches on, and refuses to let you go until nearly 47 minutes later. The Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree spent 2008/2009 organizing themselves behind the self-titled LP. Doomtree was a declaration that, albeit too long at 21 songs, laid the groundwork for more Blowout showcases and to promote the ensuing solo albums from Dessa (A Badly Broken Code and Castor, The Twin), Sims (Bad Time Zoo), Cecil Otter (Rebel Yellow), Lazerbeak (Legend Recognize Legend), Paper Tiger (Made Like Us), and P.O.S. (Never Better). Seven albums in, apologizes if I miss one, and you’d think things would reach a plateau and start sounding similar-but artist supporting artist has its benefits against music writer’s block. “No Way” takes that aforementioned declaration, decides it didn’t have teeth, and tears it apart to churn out a classic, harder rock rap “beat” that could serve as the opening credits scene to the latest explosive action movie. Guitar/bass lulls in this beat raises this album’s production above whatever you heard on Doomtree. Production doesn’t let up either as it plunges into the abyss of a P.O.S.-led “Bolt Cutter”. Heavy on drums, the song contorts around synth keys, dropping off ledges like the Last Crusade. The electronic tweaks are evidence of where Doomtree may be moving, such as on “Gimme the Go” which is a prime example of where they’ve been and where they’re going. If you’re looking for downtime, there’s very little on the album as was with “A Rickety Bridge,” “The Wren” or “Liver Let Die”. But honestly you wouldn’t notice their absence. Speaking of beats…...full text |
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