Prefuse 73 – Extinguished: Outtakes

Sonically, this is an ok plate. Solid signal level and clean, but the dynamics and overall frequency response are not as nice as his 2x LPs.

Contextually, though, this disc is remarkable. Not only does it really underline any conversation about Scott Herren in 2001-2003 and how one man can get so in the groove that even a full length 23 track collection of b-side sketch throwaway cuts can come out world class quality. He truly was in the flow state here to a degree that few of us will ever feel.

And that's what makes the other main contextual note here so poignant. This record stands as a great lesson for young artists out there reading this in the future, illustrating just how much alcohol and drugs can take from you. I saw Scott in the basement of the Church here in Philly not long after this collection was released and it was one of the worst performances I have had the misfortune of paying for. He came on stage visibly intoxicated, carrying a fresh cold six-pack. Over the course of the set, he killed the entire six pack and was so drunk by the end that he couldn't even trigger his sampler on beat for whole notes starting on the 1 of the measure.

His career as a recording artist went steadily downhill after 2005 as the zeitgeist kind of absorbed his tasteful glitchy jazz lessons and moved on without him, but the fact that Warp sold thousands and thousands of this b-side/scrap collection shows just high he was actually flying at this moment in time.

Prefuse 73 Extinguished:Outakes (Abstract Hip Hop – UKLP/CD - Warp)

Razored-breaks meets the new digital abstract, in this alternative take on the ‘One Word Extinguisher’ album.
A new style always developing in the world of Prefuse 73, and the flavour’s strictly future. As dope as Hip Hop gets, yet totally different to that fake-ass bland talentless rap-spam spewed out by the should know better majors. In fact, Punk, Rock, NewWave & Soul have more in common –
Listen to this ; don’t look back / down....