Gaudi is an interesting artist. Whether you're speaking of the artist or the musician, the same holds true, but in this case we're talking about the musician. Having honed his art over the past 20 or so years, Gaudi works within his own world of dub and electronic music and liberally delves into the depth of his experience. The sounds he turns out on his latest album, No Prisoners, is an intricate mesh of avant-garde 80s synths, 90s worldliness, and modern dub styles. His focus and artistic freedom are perhaps more clear and realized than ever, but do I, as a listener, connect with his vision of music?

1. Bad Boy Bass
2. There's Enough
3. Serious Ting
4. Back to Baia
5. Oud We Think We Are?
6. No Time (feat. Dr. Israel)
7. Barracudub
8. Hotel Caledonia
9. Strictly Goodness
10. Brainwashed Again
11. No More Blood

The opening track is an absolute dance floor killer called "Bad Boy Bass". Similar in ways to one of Gaudi's earlier songs called "Ayahuasca Deep Fall", it will easily boom along next to artists such as Ashtech and Bassnectar, but doesn't show any of the 80s or 90s influences that are more prevalent in later songs.

Maybe the 80s influence I'm referring to has more to do with the use of analog synth sounds than actually sounding 80s in composition, but you know what, I don't think it's just that. I spent a fair amount of time with the underground electronic and Industrial styles of music of the mid-to-late 80s, and there's just something very familiar about Gaudi's bass lines and synth leads throughout this album. I definitely wouldn't call it Industrial Dub, but if there is one style of music and production that Gaudi uses as a foundation to his music, it's dub, and you'll certainly hear it.

No Prisoners has a curious sound. The level and style of electronic instruments, juxtaposed against occasional, organic dub and reggae elements, makes it fairly unique among a lot of the new music I've heard recently. When you throw in the heavy dub style of "Serious Ting", the blatant 90s synth backing chords of "Barracudub", the warbling jig of "Hotel Caledonia", or the gospel-vocalized, jamtronica dub of "Brainwashed Again", it's all out there, and honestly, I'm not sure how it all makes me feel.

Comparing this album with Bass, Sweat & Tears, wherein Gaudi played with far more "spatial" synth affects and mystical moods, this one is focused on a grittier attitude and shows Gaudi may be developing a more jam band style of songwriting. There are elements of dubstep sprinkled throughout, just as there are elements of World music, but despite the heavy dub production, this is certainly no dubstep album.

I'm at a loss as to how to recommend this one right now. The songs cross so many stylistic borders, I don't think there will ever be any one moment you can clearly know how you feel about it, or maybe that's just me. All the same, if Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Ashtech and similar artists echo through yours ears frequently, you'll do yourself good to give this a listen.

http://soundcloud.com/sixdegreesrecords/gaudi-bad-boy-bass

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