God's World by MANSLAUGHTER 777

Manslaughter 777 are powerhouses of forward-thinking rhythmic music and production. The duo, composed of drummers/programmers Lee Buford (The Body, Sightless Pit, Dead Times, Everyone Asked About You) and Zac Jones (MSC, Nothing, Braveyoung), combine their prowess as percussionists and producers into beat-centric music that delights in turning unexpected sounds into razor sharp rhythms. Buford and Jones, along with engineer/producer Seth Manchester of Machines with Magnets (The Body, Model/Actriz, Liturgy), have collaborated for nearly two decades, consistently shattering genre boundaries and redefining the role of the studio in the process. God’s World uses innovative sound sampling to create expansive sonics driven by complex rhythms. The resulting album’s infectious grooves are both celebratory and irreverent.

God’s World refocuses the bristling soundscapes and noise-laden energy of their debut World Vision Perfect Harmony into tracks whose hit and syncopation lands with precision and punch. The album’s central current is in unearthing undeniable grooves. The dense pieces took inspiration from the rhythmic elements of dub, breakbeat and R&B. “Sonically it’s maybe the craziest record I’ve ever worked on,” notes Jones. “I really wanted to focus on having tracks that people could play at parties. The sounds we were able to layer together, and the way Seth helped balance everything, it’s unlike anything else.”

The duo deftly interweave their own playing into field recordings and synthesized drums. The taut pieces blur the boundaries between acoustic and electronic instruments, samples and performances. “It’s kind of strange to be making music like this using acoustic sounds,” Jones continues, “but I think that adds a special element to it, sampling our own playing and being very meticulous about the sounds we get out of those.” “Power in the Blood” turns a ping-ponging hip hop beat into a throbbing House thump. “Silk Barricade”s dub-gone-jungle drop is met with an industrial breakdown where “Pulling A Truck Up A Hill”’s afro-latin groove leaves more room to breathe. Overblown 808s and steady tambourine speckle the slow-mo “Child Of (featuring MSC)” and a sine-wave bass lilts across the live kit on “Luv.” On God’s World, kaleidoscopic revelations reveal a rhythmic approach unbound by expectations. Buford and Jones are willing to completely shift gears within one short piece or to allow individual percussive elements to subtly transform the landscape of the beat.

Manslaughter 777 have their own unique cadence, built on a deep affection for beat music, but untethered by any adherence to one specific style or set of rules. The duo imbue their music with a sinewy pulse and sense of dynamic care that lends a humanity to their unyielding arrangements. God’s World is an album whose electrifying turns and gripping compounds, in pursuit of lush, incendiary grooves, is a thrilling and joyous expressive delight.

Manslaughter 777 is Lee Buford (The Body) and Zac Jones (Nothing/MSC).