Hip-hop beat producer, designer and visual artist, Robert Krums, currently musically recognized as Spectacular Diagnostics, just released his new album “Ancient Methods”.
The Chicago artist has been making music for nearly two decades. Despite his long career, only 6 years ago he changed his name and musicality, presenting himself as Spectacular Diagnostics. In fact, before his reinvention, Robert Krums went with by the name Earmint. But this self-defined “evolution” hasn’t particularly influenced his fame. In fact, it has always been supported by the national underground scene to which he belongs since the beginning of his musical career. And due to this support he is also been able to assemble a hit squad of guests for his 2015’s Raw Game, his first Spectacular Diagnostics album. Among this we find the names of Vic Spencer, Quelle Chris, Jeremiah Jae, Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine.
Ancient Methods
A variety of different influences is what mainly characterises Spectacular Diagnostics music. And once again, with Ancient Methods, he has not disappointed his biggest fans. In fact, the term that has been coined to describe his beats (“otherworldly”) on previous albums once again respects his music. Cut-up jazz keys, distorted sci-fi movie dialogues, throw backs to traditional Bollywood chants are just some of the peculiarities of the album.
Experimental Hip Hop
“I still primarily sample from vinyl and physically dig for records. Even all the movie dialogue. So in some ways, I feel like a dinosaur in the way I work and approach my creative process,” says Robert Krums. The artist maintains, in fact, the use of samples as main form of inspiration and base for his songs. Neverthless, he also experiments with the use of eccentric Hip Hop elements. Some of these include abstract lyrics and a particular choice for samples. It is in fact for this reason that the album perfectly fits into the genre of experimental hip hop. The genre has always mantained his popularity. This has also been possible thanks to important album as Madvillain’s (MF DOOM and Madlib) Madvillainy, Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush The Show, Beastie Boys’ Licensed To Ill and Run DMC’s Run DMC.
