Shabazz Palaces – “Lese Majesty”

Lese Majesty – released today via Sub Pop - is the excellent sophomore album from the Seattle-based project from Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, formerly of Digable Planets.  Gone is the cool Jazz-cat influence that became his trademark, as the new album along with his 2011 debut, Black Up, is full of next level experimental electronic-based hip-hop – thanks to producer Tendai Maraire - but his old school flow, poetic lyrics and distinct butter-smooth voice remains.  Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro is assisted in the studio by guests like THEESatisfaction’s Catherine Harris-White along with Erik Blood and Thadillac.     

The 18-track album is broken up into 7 different suites of spaced-out and psychedelic synth-driven soundscapes with a tracklisting like this:  

Suite 1: “The Phasing Shift”:

1. “Dawn In Luxor”

2. “Forerunner Foray”

3. “They Come In Gold”

Suite 2: “Touch & Agree”:

4. “Solemn Swears”

5. “Harem Aria”

6. “Noetic Noiromantics”

7. “The Ballad of Lt. Major Winnings”

Suite 3: “Palace War Council Meeting”:

8. “Soundview”

9. “Ishmael”

10. “Down 155th In The MCM Snorkel”

Suite 4: “Pleasure Milieu”:

11. “Divine Of Form”

12. “#Cake”

Suite 5: “Federal Bureau Boys”:

13. “Colluding Oligarchs”

14. “Suspicion Of A Shape”

Suite 6: “High Climb To The Gallows”

15. “Mind Glitch Keytar Theme”

16. “Motion Sickness”

Suite 7: “Murkings On The Oxblood Starway”:

17. “New Black Wave”

18. “Sonic Myth Map For The Trip Back”

Stream the bouncy standout single “#CAKE” here: https://soundcloud.com/subpop/shabazz-palaces-cake

For more info:  https://www.subpop.com/artists/shabazz_palaces and http://www.shabazzpalaces.com/