RJD2

The Colossus (RJ's Electrical Connections)

By Jamie Gadette
Published: February 4th, 2010 | 7:00am

Hats off to RJD2 for following his heart. The DJ/producer also known as Ramble John “RJ” Krohn has built a career crafting memorable instrumentals — he recently made mainstream waves as the brains behind Mad Men’s catchy intro — but in recent years has sparked some debate for dabbling in vocal-based territory.

On The Colossus, perhaps emboldened by RJ’s creative freedom in releasing material on his own imprint, he dutifully flirts with disaster: friends stop by to lend their pipes on several tracks and RJ even takes the mic himself — in fits and starts. Had RJ simply embraced the singing word–style full hog, old-school fans might have cried foul but newcomers might have loved the results. Instead, The Colossus is a tad more schizophrenic.

The album kicks off with a lively instrumental/surefire party-starter (just try not to bust your best Running Man) immediately followed by “Games You Can Win,” a soulful R&B tune featuring the always excellent/underrated Kenna. Like most of the vocally–dressed Colossus tracks, “Win” stands fine on its own but when absorbed as part of a scattershot whole, the song sounds out of place. Colossus is not a total bust but it’s no match for his debut Deadringer (Definitive Jux). At worst, the impatient listener will throw up her hands and head to iTunes to download a few favorite numbers and leave the remainder with an icy “Dear John.” Hopefully RJD2’s next effort will push the envelope and lock into one steady groove

RJD2 official site and RJs Electrical Connections

RJD2 MySpace